Definition
: dazzlingly bright : radiant
Fulgent is a particularly apt choice to describe the radiant light of the sky at sunset. The word derives from the Latin verb fulgēre, meaning "to shine," a root which is itself akin to the Latin flagrare, meaning "to burn." English speakers have been using fulgent to depict resplendence since at least the 15th century.
The sky was burning and I meant that literally.
The leaking gas from one of the enormous, now cracked, chimneys that dealt with the flammable poisonous gas created as an unwanted side-effect emission from the munitions factory - which was normally cleansed and purified by said chimney before being released into the atmosphere - was now spewing, unchecked and unfiltered into the waiting air, mixing with the oxygen and igniting into a massive,writhing, storm of fire.
As I as staggered as best I could to the waiting evacuation truck, I could feel the breathable air being sucked back into the inferno behind me, what little remained felt like burning embers in my throat.
At last I felt the handle of the door beneath my fingers - it singed them badly but all I could think of was air. Someone opened the door within and I gratefully clambered it, slamming the door behind me.
For a few moments I nothing but desperately inhale the sweet cold air of the truck.
"It's quite beautiful, if you look at it properly." The driver said calmly.
I glared at them.
He held up his hands. "Just an observation. Unlike animals, who learn survival instincts pretty quick, humans have yet to learn that 'beauty' does not equal 'good'. Usually the opposite in fact."
"Thanks for the philosophy lesson." I said sarcastically.
He shrugged. "Like I said, just an observation." He paused and looked out the windscreen, the glow from the flames bathing his face in a red and golden light. "Not like there's much else we can do now anyway."
"There must be something!"
He shook his head. "We have to wait until the firefighters get here - and even then they won't be able to do much until it's died down a little. Once it's burnt out all the oxygen in this area, it should calm down. Thank god the exterior biodome is still standing - if that had been breached then I don't know how long it would have continued for or how far it would have spread. As it is, we should be safe in here. The truck's got its own oxygen supply and it's fire proof - although I definitely think we should consider moving away of the fire spreads any closer. Luckily it seems to be going up rather than out."
"Wouldn't it better to move the truck away now then?"
He shook his head. "We'd have to divert oxygen away to the engines - and I don't know how long this is going to keep burning. As much as I would love to leg it, I don't think it's wise to at the moment."
"But surely it's better to move closer to a secure location."
"Ironically, the safest place in the biodome is right there." He pointed at the flames.
"You what?"
"The bunkers in there are the safest on the planet, you know that. If the oxygen looks like it's about to run out, the safest thing would be to use the biohazard suits in the back, drive the truck straight into the building towards them, then throw ourselves in."
"Are you insane?"
"Not any more so than the next person."
"How is that the safest option?"
"I've run all the figures - in my head and on the computer. It's the one option that gives us good survival rates."
"What did the other options give us?"
"Bad ones."
There was a brief pause.
"Are we in a really bad position right now?"
"Well....the sky is on fire and all the oxygen in the immediate vicinity has now been burned away so if you got out of the truck - it would be a race to see if you suffocated or burned to death first. My money's on suffocation. Even thought the air is super heated right now, we're far enough away from the actual flames so it'd take longer for your body to dehydrate and burn than it would for you to run out of air already in your body."
"And you want to drive us into the flames?"
"Only in the absolute worst case scenario. I'm hoping it won't come to that."
"But you think it might."
"Like I said, worst case scenario."
"What do you think the odds of that happening are?"
"Wow, you are really not letting this go huh? What's the point of asking about something that might never happen? You're stressing for nothing."
"What are the odds?"
"....about 50/50 I reckon."
"Awesome."
"But we trained the emergency response team really well. Even if this is something... somewhat above their normal pay grade, they should be able to deal with it."
"You class the sky being on fire as 'something above their pay grade."
"Wouldn't you?"
We both stared at the fire storm ahead and above. It was so bright the clouds were stained blood red and orange, the flames causing strange flickering movements so it looked like they were full of golden lightening.
"Well it's definitely above mine." I remarked. "I'm only supposed to deal with the scientists complaining that Meatloaf Tuesday incorrectly occurred on Wednesday and when am I going to add more vegan pizzas to the cafeteria menu. Oh, and if the toilets are blocked or if I've purchased the wrong kind of toilet paper. They come and whinge then. That sort of thing is my remit. Not early onset apocalypses."
"Apocalypse is a bit hyperbolic don't you think?"
"The sky is on fire. Actual fire. Not that poetic fancy shit. Fire. Flames. Death."
"Fine, I get your point."
Another pause.
"Can you get vegan pizzas?"
"Apparently."
"Do they taste alright?"
"Considering how expensive they are, they'd better be but it's more likely that they probably taste like shit. Still, can't be interfering with people's life choices like that." I sighed. "Not that the Head of Accounting sees it like that."
"Not budging huh?"
"Not in the slightest. Just says that if they want to eat like rabbits, then they can just use the salad bar and stop wasting his money."
"His money?"
"Yup. Then they all come and complain to me of course. It's not even my decision!" I threw up my hands in exasperation. "Take it up with the man who controls the budget, not me. I don't care what you eat - just as long as it doesn't harm you or others or clogs up the toilets - which is definitely harmful to my cleaning staff."
"That why you cancelled Curry night?"
"Hell yes. Please should learn to control their diets if they're not going to take responsibility for their bowels."
I sighed - then brightened up. "At least now I don't have to go to the budget meeting tomorrow. You would not believe how anal some people can get about stationery."
"Oh, I would. I used to bunk with someone who would count his paperclips."
"Seriously?"
"No joke. He got real twitchy, real fast if someone messed with them."
"I kinda feel sorry for the guy."
"I feel more sorry for the guy he stabbed with a HB2 pencil after he tried to borrow his rubber."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, lucky he was a weedy man, no arm strength to speak of. Luckily. Even though it was sharp, it only went in a couple of inches.
I still winced.
A sudden noise caught my attention.
I looked out the back. "Oh look!" I said excitedly. "A helicopter!"
"I don't think that's a good idea." He said doubtfully. "The heated air is going to play havoc with the wiring on the propellers for a start."
The second the words were out of his mouth, the helicopter began to tumble out of the air. Two pilots quickly followed suit, having evacuated and opened their parachutes. even from here though I could tell the parachutes were being to burn."
I turned around and glared at him. "You just had to jinx it."
"What did I do?"
"You! You said words! It's like saying, 'at least it's not raining' or something. You know the second you say words like that it's going to pour down!"
"Superstition."
"And yet, there goes our ride out of here - in a ball of flame."
"I still don't think a helicopter in this environment is the best vehicle to choose."
"I thought you said our emergency service team was well trained!"
"They are! They just... made a poor choice is all."
I huffed. "Well, now what?"
"We wait until we either get rescued or have to hunker down in the bunker."
"Great. Some fab options there."
"You seem a little stressed."
"The. Sky. Is. On. Fire."
"But at least you don't have to do the budget meeting tomorrow."
I sat back, somewhat mollified. "Well, yes. That is a bonus."
He held out a packet. "Want a jelly baby?"
"Oh, all right then."
"You like the red ones?"
"Yup."
"Feet first or head?"
"When eating jelly babies? Head of course. It's the kinder option."
"I see."
Another pause while we munched through the packet.
"We could play a game?" He suddenly suggested.
"What?"
"You were asking what we could do while we waited. We could play a game?"
"What kind of game?"
"How about I Spy."
I considered it. well, it wasn't like I had anything else to do except ponder my possibly imminent demise.
"Alright."
"I'll go first." He peered out the window. "I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with F.'
"I swear to God, if it's fire, I will shove you out this car and leave you to burn."
"...something beginning with B then..."
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