Seven Days To Brooklyn: A Sara Robinson Adventure Read Online Free Page A

This morning we will explain the exciting news we have uncovered in the past few days and the rapid developments in the previous twenty-four-hour time period.” He adjusts his glasses. “Approximately twenty-two days ago while analyzing the surface of the sun, we noticed a flare up of some magnitude. This solar flare up, while initially presenting itself as a normal course of events in the solar cycle of the sun, has continued to grow and is now at the apex of a coronal mass ejection.”  
    Dr. Bishop looks up from his bifocal glasses at the small group of TV reporters and catches the eye of Lupita just as she is opening her mouth to ask.
    “Yes, Miss Rodriquez. You have a question?”
    Lupita looks at him as she lifts her microphone close to her lips. She is a rookie field reporter and at the young age of twenty-three is still lacking the extreme confidence exuded by a seasoned pro.
    “What—” she clears an unsteady throat “—does this mean for us here in the United States of America? We have had solar storms in the past, and there have been no adverse effects from them.” Her brown eyes sparkle like pools of caramel.
    The doctor starts to smile but quickly regains composure before explaining the situation. “The difference with the past solar flares and the current solar flare is the magnitude. In layman’s terms, if the last event were Pee Wee League baseball, this event will be a pro level, Major League baseball game, without the hotdogs and peanuts.”  
    The doctor looks back over to Lupita and is about to ask her if she has another question, when she blurts out, “So, this solar flare event will be bigger; is that what you are telling us? Just how will this affect us? Will we even notice it? Or is it like most of the other space news and, in essence, a non-event to the common citizen?”
    Pulling off his glasses, Dr. Bishop leans over the podium.  
    “Let me make this clear,” he says, pointing his glasses at the camera and into the viewers’ homes. “This is not just another blip on the radar, not just another geeky scientific event that will go unnoticed on the six o’clock news or be buried on the back page of the Denver Times . This is the event of the millennium. A global event of epic proportions that has the potential of disrupting the magnetic field of the earth and causing mass electrical disturbances.”
    Lupita raises her microphone again. “Are you talking about blackouts and losing some power across the electrical grids similar to what happened in Canada a few years ago?”
    “Yes, Miss Rodriquez. That’s exactly what I am saying. Not only will we have disruption across the power grids, but this flare will also disrupt all electrical systems, including batteries, generators, and any electronics that are not protected by shielding. This has the potential to disrupt most, if not all, electrical systems globally. We are informing the citizens to plan for the possibility of not having electrical access for weeks, if not months. I am not trying to incite panic, rather prepare our citizens for the upcoming reality of minimal services.”
    “It seems as if the solar storm is really coming. Whether we are disrupted, losing power and inconveniencing our daily lives, time will tell. I’m Lupita Rodriquez, reporting live from Boulder, Colorado. Back to you, Bill.”
    Mr. Robinson reaches for the remote and switches off the television, hearing Sara’s footsteps coming up the stairs from the garden and into the dining room. Looking up from his newspaper while still clamping down on a meerschaum pipe, he lets out a large puff of sweet smoke while talking.
    “Please sit down and eat your breakfast, Sara.”
    “Sorry, Daddy. Am I late?” She knows she is late, but is playing the game with him. Her dad never treats her poorly, and Sara pushes the limits all the time, trying to get by with things here and there. She is a good kid. But still a kid. Mark lets her slide from time to time, happy to