Page 86 of Proof

“Muy bueno. I’m with a friend, and we want to pick up some dinner to take out. Can you give us the usual?”

“Guacamole, queso-filled peppers, smothered enchiladas, chicken with tortillas. Do you want corn bread, too?” Leela asked.

“Sure. Why not?” Gail looked at Luna and smirked. Luna licked her lips. Gail continued, “And can you pour us a batch of that spicy watermelon refresher?”

“Of course. How soon do you want it?”

“How soon can we get it?” Gail laughed.

“Twenty minutes?”

“Make that thirty,” Gail replied.

“Okay.”

“Perfect. See you then.” Gail hit the END CALL button. She then began the five-minute drive to Airport Mesa, another well-known vortex in Sedona. “I think it’s only fitting we go to one more vortex before the day is over.”

“Cool.”

“We don’t have to get out and hike to get the vibe.”

“Good, because I don’t think my body is up to it. My legs feel like spaghetti. That massage was amazing. I didn’t realize how out of balance my energy was.” Luna chuckled.

“I didn’t realize that not only do I live among the Red Rocks, but I had a few in my neck and shoulders.” Gail laughed.

“Today was amazing,” Luna repeated. “Thanks for arranging it.”

Airport Mesa was said to have an uplifting, masculine energy field, and was considered one of the four major vortexes. If one climbed to the top, it was possible to get a 360-degree view of Sedona. But for this trip, the girls would skirt around the formation. Gail knew a back road that her Jeep could scale. It was little-known. Gail looked at Luna. “Kinda like Fight Club.”

“Ah. You mean rule number one?”

“Precisely.” Gail was referring to the movie in which members were not allowed to discuss their secret club. “You realize not everyone knows what that means.”

“Yeah. Pop culture, underground lingo. It’s interesting that so many expressions are from movies and TV shows.”

“Imagine if you had to pay money to quote a TV show in conversation?”

“How would they be able to quantify it?”

“Don’t you know about those chips they want to put in our heads?” Gail raised her eyebrows.

“You’re not serious?” Luna paused. “Are you?”

“It isn’t that farfetched. One celebrity billionaire’s company has been given federal approval for clinical trials with humans.”

“Oh, that’s just swell,” Luna huffed. “I heard about it, but I never delved into it. Too creepy.”

“I don’t know why they want to create robots and AI. Just plug us in, and we’ll do everything automatically.”

Luna shivered. “I think this is why I’m happy in my own little world of Stillwell. Sure, I interact with people, but I’m not a news junkie. I recoil when I see the same blathering faces on TV.”

Gail looked over at her. “That’s my girl. And I agree. Electronics and technology have taken over our lives. At least they’re trying to.” Her voice got louder. “No wonder people feel so dehumanized. It’s really happening!”

Gail looked around for a place to park. “Can you manage to get out of the car and walk about a hundred yards?”

“That I can do.” Luna unbuckled her seat belt and slithered out of the car.

They couldn’t see the entire vista from their vantage point, but they could feel the energy emitted by the rocks that stood before them.