Solar Storms Read Online Free

calculations nonetheless,
waiting for the program to spit out the results. It took far more time to run
her projection than it did to analyze what it meant.
    The knot in her stomach tightened.
    “Dr. Tsui!” she yelled.
    The short scientist entered her station seconds
later.
    “Yes, what is it?”
    “I ran the calculations and included the magnetic
disturbance entries, something you appeared to have left out.”
    “And?”
    “I’m afraid you were wrong. We don’t have as much
time as you projected. In fact, if my calculations are correct, then the CME is
already on its way to earth.”
     
    -4-
     
    A red haze lingered in the sky, creeping slowly
across the horizon. It was beautiful in an almost divine way. Sophie had never
seen anything quite like it. Ten years had passed since she’d seen the green
flicker of the aurora borealis dancing across the sky. Never in her wildest
dreams did she think she would see the lights so pronounced, so different .
    And now Sophie had a front row seat to the
destruction. With Emanuel by her side, they watched in horror as the red flares
licked the earth. The rest of the team slowly filtered out of the stairway
leading to the rooftop, their faces, awestruck, tilted up at the sky.
    She watched the scientists, most of whom she hardly
knew, as their eyes locked onto the swirling colors above the skyline of South
Houston.
    “It’s beautiful,” Emanuel whispered, grasping
Sophie’s hand.
    She pulled away, choosing instead to take a step
closer to the edge of the rooftop, away from the growing crowd.
    “Stay close!” Tsui yelled. “We don’t want to get
caught up here if things take a turn for the worse.”
    The distant scream of an air raid siren silenced
the old man. To Sophie’s ears it was the most terrifying sound in the world.
She’d grown up living in the Midwest, dead in the middle of tornado alley where
the violent wind events were a part of everyday life. Whining air raid sirens
meant one thing—hide.
    The sound prompted her to take a few steps back,
and she found herself once again standing shoulder to shoulder with Emanuel.
When the first transformer exploded in the distance, she grabbed his hand and
gripped it tightly. Another pop followed a few seconds later, and before long
the entire city sounded like it was having a massive Fourth of July
celebration. Transformers were lighting up like bottle rockets throughout the
city, sending gouts of flame into the sky.
    As the whine of the distant air raid sirens got
louder, Sophie clenched his hand even tighter. It was an odd sound—an archaic
sound, one that seemed as if it should be reserved for a 21st century action
movie with nukes raining down from the sky. As her eyes surveyed the horizon,
she realized something much worse was raining down than nuclear-tipped missiles—something
that would change the civilized world.
    It was then Dr. Tsui started herding the team back
into the building. “Stay calm, don’t rush, we have plenty of time,” he said,
his tiny arms flailing about.
    Sophie didn’t want to leave. She was captivated by
the view. The trail of smoke rising into the sky and red haze dancing across
the horizon was one of the most beautifully frightening things she had ever
seen. It took Emanuel’s strong grip to pull her way from the sight.
    “My wife, my kids—they’re out there! I have to
leave!” shouted one of the research assistants. Sophie knew him only as Henry;
she couldn’t remember his last name. He was young, not more than 30 years old.
Just a kid in his field dominated by fossils like Dr. Tsui.
    “It’s not safe. Chances are they’re hunkered down
and waiting out the storms like everyone else,” Emanuel said, trying to
reassure the man.
    “No. I told them to go to my in-laws if things hit
the fan. They’re probably trying to evacuate the city. I have to find them!” he
yelled, his voice getting more frantic.
    Dr. Tsui stopped in the middle of the stairway
leading to the basement.