Mom was at her office, gearing up for Christmas Day shenanigans...to show the US and New Republic presidents that the people of the New Republic, in the quest for a safer world, wanted the military out immediately. She said they would settle for nothing less.

Little did she know.

Dr. Timothy Tanaka was finishing up paperwork in his office at the university and collecting a few last pieces of equipment for his home laboratory. He had resigned from the University of Hawaii three days earlier, weary of academic competition, as well as the ridicule and headaches resulting from colleagues jealous of his brilliance. He told Keala and reporters alike that he could do much better on his own, that he would someday operate the grandest research and development corporation of the Twenty-First Century.

Little did he know.

George Keahiolalo was with Dr. Tanaka, still in love with Keala, and still just as inept as a gorilla courting a butterfly. He'd acted kinder over the last few weeks, had even spoken nicely to me a couple of times, but it was an obvious ruse to win Keala back...She would tire of the haole and come back to where she belonged, to him.

Little did he know.

Keala and I were sitting in the Mustang, parked in her driveway, our reflection bouncing off the mirror George had hung on the garage door...I'd just finished tightening the time device's day dial. A jet screamed overhead. As the noise died away, a low moaning sound began to build slowly into a wail...This wasn't the scheduled time for defense tests. I turned up the radio volume.

"...Republic of Hawaii Civil Defense Network. This is not a test. I repeat, this is not a test. Please remain tuned to this emergency broadcast station for further information and instructions. You are to proceed immediately to the nearest..."

I grabbed at my belt. No cell phone. I'd left it on Dad's desk. I twisted out of the car and sprinted into the house. The land phone was still working. I dialed Mom's office number...

"Josh, where are you?"

"Keala's..."

"Listen," she said, her voice grave, "both of you go to the New Palace now. I'll meet you..." Fighter jets swarmed overhead. "President Li's ordered all cabinet members and their families into the underground center at the New Palace." Her voice grew firm. "Get in your car now and get down here..."

I fell in behind the Mustang's wheel...

I set the time gadget in place on the dash and secured it...reached for the firing switch, but Keala grabbed my wrist and yanked my hand back, her face twisting in disbelief.

"What about my dad?"

"We can't wait any longer. We haven't got time."

"You don't know how much time we have. We may have all the time in the world. You don't know! And I cannot leave him behind!" She flung open her door as the eastern horizon ignited.

"That gives us a pretty good idea of how much time we have!" I shouted, and I grabbed her hair and yanked her back in. She fell backward against me, knocking me against the door. I reached up and flipped the gadget's switch. Sapphire and yellow rays streaked out from the focal housing on the gadget's front casing, hit the mirror on the garage door, and bounced immediately back to engulf the Mustang.

The car shivered as everything around us began to drain of color, and I saw the faint outline of a car pulling into the driveway behind us between. I was suddenly overcome with crippling pity for the people in that car and everyone we were leaving behind, all doomed by the ultimate stupidity of politicians. And, yet, I didn't know whether Keala and I would be any better off than those we were leaving behind. The best I could expect was a barren world where we'd die slowly, terribly, alone.

Little did I know.