Free Domain by Steve Alten

autumnal equinox, an extremely rare astronomical alignment will occur between the galactic and solar planes. The dark rift of the Milky Way will appear to sit on the Earth’s horizon, and the Sun will begin to move into alignment at its center point. This stellar shift will culminate on the day of the winter solstice, a day considered by most ancient cultures to be the Day of the Dead. On this date, for the first time in 25,800 years, the Sun will move in conjunction with the crossing point of the Milky Way and the ecliptic in Sagittarius, marking the alignment of the Galactic Equator, the exact center of the galaxy.
    Somehow, the Mayan calendar accurately predicted this celestial event more than 3,000 years ago. Interpreting the creation myth, the galactic alignment will climax with the opening of a cosmic portal that bridges the gap between our planet and the Mayan Underworld, Xibalba.
    Call it fiction, call it fact, but somehow this intergalactic alignment will culminate in the deaths of every man, woman, and child on the face of our planet.
    —Excerpt from the Journal of Professor Julius Gabriel,
    Ref. Catalogue 1978-79 pages 43-52 Catalogue 1998-99 pages 11-75.

     

 
     
    Chapter 4

     
    SEPTEMBER 11, 2012
MIAMI, FLORIDA
    W ake up, Intern Vazquez. You’re falling for Gabriel’s famous conspiracy theory.”
    “I disagree.” Dominique returns Dr. Foletta’s cold stare from the opposite side of his desk. “There’s no reason that Mick Gabriel shouldn’t be assigned a full support team.”
    Foletta leans back in the swivel chair, his weight threatening the coiled springs. “Now let’s just calm down for a moment. Look at you—you’ve spoken with the resident twice, and already you’re making diagnoses. In my opinion, you’re becoming emotionally involved, something we spoke about on Friday. This is exactly why I recommended to the board not to bring in a team at this time.”
    “Sir, I assure you, I’m not emotionally involved. It just seems to me that people have rushed to judgment in this case. Yes, I agree he’s suffering from delusions, but they could easily be attributed to having spent the last eleven years in solitary. And as far as violence, there’s nothing that I’ve seen in Mick’s file which points to anything but a one-time case of simple assault.”
    “What about the attack on the guard?”
    “Mick told me the guard tried to rape him.”
    Foletta pinches the bridge of his nose with two stubby fingers, grinning sheepishly as he shakes his great head back and forth. “He set you up, Intern Vazquez. I told you he’s clever.”
    Dominique’s stomach flutters. “You’re saying it was all a lie?”
    “Of course. He’s preying on your maternal instincts, and he hit a grand slam.”
    Dominique stares at her lap, dumbfounded. Was Mick lying ? Was she really that gullible ? Idiot ! You wanted to believe him. You set yourself up .
    “Intern, you’re not going to get very far with your patients if you believe everything they tell you. Next thing, he’ll have you convinced the world is coming to an end.”
    Dominique sits back in her chair, feeling foolish.
    Foletta sees the expression on her face and laughs out loud, causing his plump cheeks to turn red and dimple. He takes a breath, wiping tears from his eyes as he reaches into a cardboard box at the foot of the desk. He removes a bottle of scotch and two coffee mugs, pouring them each a shot.
    Dominique drains the cup, feeling the liquid sear its way through her stomach lining.
    “Feeling better?” The words, whispered and grainy, are spoken in a fatherly manner.
    She nods.
    “Despite what he tells you, Intern, I happen to like Mick. I don’t want to see him in solitary confinement any more than you do.”
    The phone rings. Foletta answers it, eyeing her. “It’s one of the security guards. Says he’s waiting for you downstairs.”
    Shit . “Could you tell him I’m tied up in an important meeting? Tell him I can’t make it