Duality (III/III)

Five years after Maximilian Green gained his master's degree in civil engineering, he again encountered Archibald Sharps. Archie had six years of experience as a political consultant, at this time, and was advising on a campaign to preserve the Hetch Hetchy Dam. Hetch Hetchy, in Yosemite National Park, was once a lush wooded valley; but it was converted into a reservoir in 1923 with the installation of the Hetch Hetchy Dam. The campaign on which Archie was advising sought to retain the dam against environmentalists who sought to restore Hetch Hetchy to its natural state; the preservationists arguing against the cost and feasibility of removing the dam. And thus Maxie met Archie again; testifying in Congressional hearings for the removal of Hetch Hetchy Dam.

Archie was furious at Maxie's seeming betrayal, and confronted him after the hearing adjourned. Archie launched into a tirade against Maxie's interference in Archie's campaign and Maxie, still angered by what he saw as Archie's mercenary pragmatism, shot right back with statements to the effect that Maxie had a "perfect right" to support what he believed in and that, furthermore, Archie was a "hypocritical snit" if he actually believed what he was spouting. The fight only degenerated further; hard words were said, that could not be unspoken. Ten minutes later, as Archie stalked out of the hallway, it was clear that their friendship was over; ended as it started, with an argument. Maxie's relationship with Artie was built on the few similarities they possessed, not the differences that spurred their perpetual debates. After time's passing eroded away those few points of agreement, all they had left was differences; and so they went to war.

Maxie returned to his hotel room and plotted furiously. A day later, he had his plan: alongside a few trusted friends, he would travel to Hetch Hetchy and blow up the dam; thus presenting a fait accompli to Archie, now his opponent. Archie had not idly wasted the intervening day; to the contrary, he had wired Maxie's hotel room, and, now equipped with a recording of Maxie's plan, concocted his own response: a redirection of the Tuolumne River, flowing out of Hetch Hetchy, such that the flooding caused by Maxie's plan would do horrific damage to Yosemite Park and, simultaneously, to Maxie's own cause. Neither Maxie nor Archie considered the absurdity of their respective plans; both were consumed by the hatred born of their failed friendship. By March Tenth, they had arrived in Hetch Hetchy.

On March Tenth, Matthew's thoughts were turned twenty days ahead, to the end of the third year of the sentient cats' contract with the National Park Service, as well as the contract itself. Matthew and Georgia, still partnered, were among the six remaining cat-human pairs; another, Anthony, having been hospitalized after a tree branch crushed his spine. Though none of the rangers involved in the experimental contract reported ill of it, it seemed likely that when the cats' contract expired, it would not be renewed. With the expense of feasibility studies on the removal of the Hetch Hetchy Dam, the cats' middling contributions did not serve to balance out their medical and logistical expenses in the minds of Accounting. The cats would be cast loose to find some other employment; and, while certain of them supported this, Georgia and Matthew could find no happiness in the thought that they should be so separated.

In this state, then, did Georgia first smell the spoor of unfamiliar humans somewhat south of the Hetch Hetchy Valley, an area closed to tourists. After Georgia informed Matthew (using the electronic voicebox strapped to her neck), the two hiked north to investigate, expecting to escort the trespassers north to the Dam. They were both quite surprised, then, to find not a few confused tourists, but rather four armed men, one of whom was at that moment setting explosive charges near the Tuolumne River.

Matthew didn't know what to do. He was armed with a hunting rifle, but wasn't certain that he could use it against the gunmen; certainly he was not skilled with it. He could call in help, but it would take half an hour to prep a helicopter and fly it over to Matthew's location, by which time the four men would have certainly escaped. Matthew's indecision was interrupted by a firm headbutt from Georgia, who through her voicebox whispered: "They're very nervous about this; if you draw your rifle on them, they'll back down. Just do it, and I'll cover your back." Matthew, extremely hesitant to expose himself before four gunmen, first radioed for help and then (sweating and reluctantly) raised his rifle towards the four as Georgia shouted out, voicebox at maximum volume, "You are under arrest for trespassing and other illegal activities. Put down your weapons and you won't be shot."

The first reaction of the gunmen was to jump to their feet and draw their weapons, looking for the source of the voice; both Matthew and Georgia being yet concealed in shrubbery. Matthew's warning shot, fired towards the closest man's feet, convinced three of the four men to drop their weapons; all three except Archie (for Archie was there, of course, leading the three mercenaries), who instead dropped to the ground and began firing wildly in the general direction from which the shot came. Matthew, now completely petrified, was on the brink of flight when (moments after Archie opened fire) Georgia sprang out of the bushes and leapt at Archie, knocking the pistol out of his hand and leaving several deep gouges in his hand. Archie, crying from unaccustomed pain, was entirely immobilized, and the three mercenaries remained immobile until the helicopter arrived, twenty-eight minutes later, to assist.

From the testimony the rangers aboard the helicopter were able to leech from Archie, Maxie's plot was made somewhat clear; though Archie avoided explaining his own plans or either of their motives. The rangers, including Matthew and Georgia, flew straightaway to Hetch Hetchy Dam, where they found Maxie and his friends; unlike Archie, they were unprepared for a fight, and were easily captured. Both of their plots were ended; and Matthew and Georgia basked in the praise of their fellow rangers for foiling the villains.

A day later, when the story was first publicized (though many of the details were at that time still unclear), the impact was immediate. The scandal imperiled politicians on both sides of the Hetch Hetchy debate, especially the senator for whom Archie was working, and Matthew and Georgia became minor celebrities: the heroic Cat and Boy who Saved the Day. The Park Service, concerned with the potential repercussions of letting their contract with the sentient cats expire in the midst of the publicity, offered to renew it; an offer which four of the remaining cats agreed to, most notably including Georgia.

Georgia and Matthew's friendship endured, even through the stressful arrests and the publicity that followed. Unlike Archie and Maxie, who based their friendship on similarity and fell apart when that was lost, Georgia and Matthew based their friendship on the differences between them. Georgia, a female cat; Matthew, a human boy; differences that would always define them, and make them as effective a team as they were.

And what of Archie and Maxie? Released on bail, both fled, bringing (so far as investigators were able to determine) little more than a change of clothes with them. It was never clear where they escaped to; and, though they are wanted in the United States to this day, their escapes are now listed as 'cold cases'.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Somewhat more is planned for Duality; it's not quite over yet.