The Future Is Changing

Evelyn's POV

“Your money?” I asked Owen. “Since when did the money in my personal account become yours?”

“That's not what I meant. You're refusing to support my business, but you're exchanging messages with a man you just met.”

“Adrian sent photographs of a damaged building. You saw them.”

“Then why won't you show me the rest of your messages?”

“Because I shouldn't have to surrender my phone whenever you're suspicious.”

Owen folded his arms. “Clara thinks you're hiding something.”

“Why does Clara have a say in every disagreement between us?”

“She's worried about you.”

“Then tell her to stay out of our marriage.”

He walked away, leaving me with the auction documents.

The following morning, my supervisor called me over at the municipal logistics office.

“The hospital needs those cooling units today. Can you arrange a partial delivery?”

The carrier had reassigned two trucks, and demand had increased across several states. I contacted the depot manager and arranged for the available units to leave first.

More than seventy days remained before the major heat emergency I remembered. I couldn't recall this particular shortage, but I hadn't remembered every delivery problem from my previous life.

By the following afternoon, hospitals were requesting more water and cooling equipment. I stayed late arranging transport while people outside crowded beneath bus shelters to escape the heat.

Owen called as I left work. “Clara says you've been buying supplies. What exactly are you planning?”

“I'm buying things we can use.”

“You won't fund Westhaven, but you'll spend money on food and batteries?”

“I've already explained what documents I need before considering Westhaven.”

“Clara thinks you're not behaving like yourself.”

“Then stop discussing me with her, Owen.”

I ended the call and drove home.

I'd bought food, batteries, work gloves, and water containers, storing smaller purchases in my inventory when nobody was watching. The broker had also confirmed the sale of my second car, although my inherited land remained unsold. I postponed buying a generator until I could arrange somewhere suitable to use it.

Clara arrived that evening while I was arranging the water containers.

“Owen says you're selling your things,” she said. “Are you planning to leave him?”

“I sold a car I wasn't using.”

“You could have told me. We used to share everything.”

“Did Owen ask you to come?”

“He's worried because you won't listen to him.”

“Does he also tell you everything about our marriage?”

Clara placed her handbag on the counter. “He talks to me because you question every decision he makes.”

“And you think that gives you the right to interfere?”

“Somebody has to listen to him, Evelyn.”

I remembered her standing beside Owen at the settlement gate while I begged them to release me. She had listened to him then, too.

“You can listen to him without coming into my home to question me.”

She picked up her handbag. “I don't know what's happened to you. You never used to treat me this way.”

“Perhaps you should ask yourself why that's changed.”

She left without another word. I knew what she'd done in my previous life, but I still had no proof of what was happening between them now.

Adrian called the following afternoon.

“I checked the registry,” he said. “Harbor Continuity's registered agent appears in several Helix Meridian property transactions.”

“Does that mean the companies are connected?”

“Not necessarily. The records don't establish who controls them.”

“I haven't bid on Ridgeway. I'm waiting for the easement review.”

“That's sensible. Have you found someone to inspect the pumps?”

“Not yet. The deadline's making it difficult.”

“Don't let anyone rush you into buying a building you can't afford to repair.”

I thanked him and mentioned the cooling equipment shortage at work.

“My brother Daniel's a paramedic,” he said. “He's been attending more heat-related emergencies lately. Traffic around Northline isn't helping.”

I remembered Northline collapsing during a later evacuation, trapping hundreds of people.

“Has Daniel noticed any damage to the road?” I asked.

“Not that he's mentioned. Why?”

“I'm checking transport routes for work. Ambulances may need alternatives if conditions worsen.”

“I'll ask him.”

Before ending the call, I thanked Adrian again for his help.

“You don't owe me anything for answering a few questions,” he said.

“Then I'll stop thanking you.”

“I didn't say you had to stop calling.”

I smiled. “I'll remember that.”

That evening, the city issued a stronger heat advisory. I charged my batteries and filled the water containers at home.

Owen watched from the sofa. “You're behaving like the world's ending.”

“I'm preparing for a power cut.”

At 10:17 p.m., the electricity went out across our block. Several buildings opposite us went dark, and people gathered outside with their phones.

My municipal emergency group reported outages in three districts. Another message announced that Northline's southbound approach had closed after inspectors detected movement in a retaining wall. Traffic was being diverted, with no injuries reported.

Northline had remained open until the later evacuation in my previous life. I couldn't tell whether this incident was related to the collapse I remembered.

I called Adrian because Daniel worked that route.

“I'm near Northline,” he answered. “Daniel called after his ambulance was diverted, so I came to see what was happening.”

“Is he safe?”

“Yes. They've sent him to another route.”

“What about the wall?”

“It's moving, but I'm outside the restricted area. I can't assess the damage from here.”

He explained that a city engineer had mentioned a sealed access door behind the damaged section. It wasn't shown on the drawings available to the inspection team.

“Could it connect to Ridgeway's drainage corridor?” I asked.

“I don't know. They're different sites, and I've seen nothing linking them.”

Adrian asked whether I was safe during the outage.

“I'm home. I've got water and a charged phone.”

“Good. Stay away from Northline tonight. The roads are busy.”

“Thank you. I hope Daniel gets home safely.”

“He should. He's the only family I have nearby, so I worry about him.”

“I understand.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“Find something to eat, Evelyn. The reports can wait.”

I laughed. “You're beginning to sound like my supervisor.”

“Then perhaps you should listen to both of us.”

After the call, I ate some bread and fruit while checking the emergency updates. The heat and outages concerned me, but I couldn't assume the major disaster had started early.

Owen had gone to bed when Adrian sent the public closure notice. I thanked him and set my phone aside.

A few minutes later, he called again.

“Evelyn, can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Earlier, you asked whether Northline's sealed door connected to Ridgeway's drainage corridor.”

“I was wondering whether the underground systems might be related.”

“But they're some distance apart, and we haven't found anything linking them.”

“I know. It was only a question.”

He hesitated before continuing. “Is there something you know about those places that you haven't told me?”