Chapter 34 - The Building Beneath the Sky
At three in the afternoon, Emma's model had worked perfectly.
At three ten, Nora informed her that it had worked perfectly only after she corrected the display labels.
At three fifteen, they agreed to stop arguing long enough to eat.
Vincent watched from a table near the indoor exhibits. He had photographed the demonstration with both girls' permission and sent the recording to Claire. Celia sat across from him with two cups of tea between them.
Neither adult pretended the afternoon was comfortable.
They had agreed it could be ordinary anyway.
Outside, the light changed.
Helen Marsh checked a weather update, spoke with her site team, and announced that the event would finish early. Families should gather inside while the roads were assessed. A warning had changed faster than the staff expected; branches were already coming down along one approach.
Vincent stood.
Emma looked toward him.
“Do we leave?”
“When the people checking the road tell us which route is safe.”
It was an answer he wanted to improve immediately by finding his own route.
He remained beside the table.
Another parent came over and asked whether the lower road might still be passable. The man recognized Vincent, though neither acknowledged it directly. He seemed to expect an answer from someone accustomed to having routes found for him.
“I don't know,” Vincent said.
“Your vehicle could handle more than ours.”
“That won't tell us whether the road is clear.”
The man glanced toward his children.
“I just don't want to wait too long.”
“Neither do I. Let's ask the people checking it.”
They went to the staff desk and obtained the current information together. Nothing about the exchange made Vincent less frightened. It did prevent his fear from becoming advice another family might act on.
When he returned, Emma was watching him.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
This time, he let the answer be nothing.
The observatory's backup lighting came on when the main supply failed. Some displays went dark. The indoor room where families gathered remained lit, and staff checked doors, attendance, and the information coming from outside.
The maintenance contractor had been contacted about equipment affected by the outage. Helen came directly to Vincent before the contractor arrived.
“Garrett is the available technician who knows this system. His role will remain in the service area. I want you informed, not surprised.”
Vincent looked toward Nora.
The girl was helping Emma pack the model into its padded box. She did not know what was happening in his chest.
“Is anyone else available?” he asked.
“The other technician is cut off on the road. Garrett has a clear approach from the service side for now. Emergency services know our situation.”
Celia joined them.
“Tell Nora before she sees him,” she said. “Don't let her think he's come because of us.”
Helen nodded.
Vincent took out his phone. Claire's name appeared as he was opening the contact.
He missed the first connection while Helen gave another instruction to the room. He called back immediately when he saw it.
“I'm here,” he said when Claire answered. “Emma's beside me. We're indoors. The event has ended early, and we're waiting for the access check.”
Claire's voice was tight.
“Put her on.”
He did.
Emma described the demonstration, the dark displays, and the fact that they still had lighting where everyone was waiting. Claire asked where she was and who was with her.
The girl answered without supplying reassurance she could not verify.
Vincent took the phone again.
“What do you need me to do?” Claire asked.
“Follow the local travel advice where you are. I'll tell you what changes here. Don't start driving into the warning because we're frightened.”
She was quiet for a moment.
Then she said, “All right.”
It cost her something. He could hear it.
They agreed on the next contact and a route for urgent updates. Claire informed the project manager at her site and remained in the safe office there while conditions outside were checked.
At the observatory, a member of staff asked for help carrying folded blankets into the gathering room. Vincent took the number he could carry without blocking the corridor and did what was needed.
No title came with it.
He preferred that to standing still imagining dangers he could not see.
Garrett arrived through the service entrance while the main approach was still closed. Helen accompanied him to the equipment area. Celia told Nora he was working and that she was not to go looking for him.
“Does Emma know?” Nora asked.
“She has been told.”
Nora glanced at her friend.
Emma nodded once.
There was nothing useful either girl could say about how strange the room had become.
They opened the model box and checked the small pieces again.
A sudden impact sounded from beyond the service corridor.
The building shook hard enough to rattle a display cabinet. Someone shouted. Helen's radio came alive with overlapping voices before she directed staff to keep the public room clear and wait for specific instructions.
Vincent moved toward the sound.
Then he stopped beside the doorway instead of entering a damaged area blind.
“Tell me where you need help,” he said.
A staff member was already calling emergency services. A large branch had struck the covered service entrance. Part of the canopy had come down while Garrett was crossing from his vehicle with equipment.
He was on the floor inside the threshold.
A staff member trained in first aid reached him after the immediate area was checked. Another kept the corridor clear and relayed the location to dispatch.
Celia rose.
Nora saw her face and understood before anyone explained.
“Dad?”
Vincent turned toward Emma.
His daughter stood beside the closed model box, one hand on Nora's sleeve.
May you like
For a moment, the past placed every person in the wrong room.
Then Garrett made a faint sound from the corridor, and Vincent heard the present clearly enough to act within it.
