by Bobby Akart
“In a minute,” said Tommy, who was intrigued and mesmerized by the activity. Unlike Kristi, he’d never been to Africa to study these creatures in the wild. He was witnessing something that no other zoologist had ever reported, to his knowledge.
Kristi ran back to the walkway and climbed to the top of the fence rail. She gave a final glance back in Tommy’s direction when she caught a glimpse of something white moving low through the tall grasses thirty feet to his right.
Her mouth fell open in fear and she tried to shout. Finally, she found her voice.
“Tooommmyyy!”
Chapter 59
Charles de Gaulle Airport
Near Paris, France
During the ride to the airport, they both made phone calls to anyone who’d listen. The backseat was a chaotic racket of French and English, both languages being heard by those on the other end of the phone calls placed by Chapman and Isabella.
Chapman began with his executive producers at The Weather Channel, who assured him they’d put a team on it. He wanted them to contact the National Weather Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but they weren’t prepared to do that until his theories could be confirmed.
Isabella received similar pushback when she spoke to the department heads at the university. They both heard similar words in response to their pleas.
Unproven. Insufficient. Alarmist. Fearmongering.
By the time the two reached the airport twenty minutes later, they were exhausted and frustrated. The driver helped them with their luggage inside the terminal, where the real work would begin. They had no idea which airline to take. All they knew was they wanted to leave Paris because there was a newfound sense of urgency.
Chapman had received another text from his contact at the SWPC. The geostorm was travelling much faster than originally predicted. The eighteen-hour time window he’d been given had been cut down to eight. To make matters worse, the brunt of the solar particles were expected to hit the northern hemisphere between the magnetic north pole, which was now near Kazakhstan, and the Atlantic coast.
They ran to the information desk inside the terminal and asked for a travel agent within the airport. It would’ve taken too much time to wait in line at individual airlines, and their ability to search online using their phone was not always accurate, as they discovered in the Uber when trying to find flight options.
They were directed down the concourse toward Selectour Bleu Voyages for assistance. They impatiently paced the floor of the travel agency as an older couple tried to find a flight to Tel Aviv. Isabella was animated, frequently sighing, drawing the attention of the travel agent, who became increasingly annoyed with her. Finally, after fifteen minutes, the old couple left with tickets in hand, and Isabella immediately started in on the hapless travel agent.
“We want to go nonstop to Chicago. Tonight. No, immediately.”
He tapped away on the keyboard, periodically looking up from Isabella to Chapman with a wary eye. “You will need two hours to clear customs and immigrations. I assume you both have passports and visas if necessary.”
“Oui. A flight to the U.S. The earliest departure available.”
“Chicago departs at 11:55 p.m.”
“That’s too late,” interjected Chapman. “Try Cincinnati.”
The travel agent tried another airline. “It is sold out. They have availability in the morning.”
“No!” shouted Isabella. She turned to Chapman for guidance.
“Atlanta. New York. DC, um, I mean Washington. Boston, too.”
The travel agent began to search all airlines for the first available departure. “I have Lufthansa leaving in two hours fifteen minutes with a brief connection in Berlin.”
“No connections,” said Chapman. “Nonstop only.”
He tried again. “Here, but a different airport than you requested. It is La Compagnie from Orly to Newark, nonstop. It leaves in two hours.”
Orly airport was south of Paris, forty minutes away.
Now Chapman was frustrated. “Let’s go, Isabella. He is no help to us.”
“Monsieur, I can assure you, I am doing my best.”
“Hurry, please,” said Isabella, encouraging the agent to keep looking.
Chapman kept checking his watch. The seconds ticked away like a time bomb about to explode. Geomagnetic storms didn’t adhere to strict time schedules. They didn’t care about departures and arrivals, nonstops or one stops. When they hit, they hit with a vengeance, especially under these circumstances.
The travel agent smiled. “Yes, this will work for you. American Airlines leaves in two and one-half hours for New York Kennedy. There are only two seats left, business class.”
“We’ll take them!” shouted Chapman. He reached into his wallet and dropped TWC’s American Express card on the counter to pay for both of their tickets. Then he mumbled to himself, “I’ll explain later, if there is a later.”
Chapter 60
Aboard American Airlines Flight
Paris, France
Chapman was sweating profusely, and it wasn’t because the cabin of the Boeing 777 was hot. Uncharacteristically, he was a nervous wreck. The flight pushed away from the gate on time, but once they were on the tarmac, awaiting their turn for takeoff, unexplained delays prohibited them from leaving. For another forty minutes, they were on hold, waiting for clearance from the tower. During this time, Chapman had three bourbons and complained about his cell phone’s battery dying.
Finally, Isabella calmed him down. “It is going to be fine. I know this. Please believe and stay positive.”
Chapman glanced down at his watch. They were nearing the time when the SWPC predicted the G1 geomagnetic storm would hit Eastern Europe and possibly France.
Flight attendants, please prepare for takeoff.
The thrust of the massive General Electric engines pushing the aircraft closer to the runway gave Chapman a huge sense of relief. He relaxed and his head dropped back against the padded seat of the spacious business-class seat. The flight attendants scurried about the cabin, picking up drinks and encouraging everyone to raise their tray tables for takeoff.
“Thank you,” he whispered as Isabella continued to hold his hand. “I’m sorry. It’s just—”
“No apologies. I know you are concerned for us. I think it is sweet, and manly.”
Chapman chuckled. “You had to calm me down, remember.”
“Oui, but it gave me something to do. I was very nervous, too.”
The flight attendants buckled into their seats, and the plane rolled down the runway until it suddenly lurched forward. The plane was wheels-up for New York.
The couple held each other’s hands and squeezed as excitement overcame them. They were going to get out of Europe before the geostorm’s arrival.
“A new adventure,” said Chapman as he looked past Isabella through the right side windows of the aircraft. The plane continued to climb, headed south along the east side of Paris. They both admired la Ville Lumière—the City of Lights. Then he said the words. “Je t’aime, Isabella Dubois.”
“I love you, Chapman Boone.” Then Isabella shed a tear as she stared down at her beloved Paris. “I will miss her.”
Chapman leaned in to kiss her wet cheek. “We’ll be back. This is where I fell in love with you. Paris will always be a part of our lives.”
The intercom hissed slightly and the internal speakers came to life as the aircraft began to bank to the right over the city, providing the passengers on the plane an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower.
“Good evening from the flight deck. This is First Officer Connor Shields. We’re appreciative of you flying with us tonight. Our flight time to New York’s Kennedy Airport is just over nine hours. I urge you to sit back, relax, get some sleep, and leave the—”
He abruptly stopped speaking as the plane was suddenly surrounded by an eruption of green, blue, and white hues of light. The two hundred plus passengers on the flight gasped in
amazement as the midnight black skies turned to an incredible light show.
“It’s happening,” whispered Chapman as he gripped Isabella’s hand. He wasn’t sure if the geostorm would have a direct impact on the electronics of the airplane or not. He closed his eyes and said a quick prayer. When he opened them, they grew wide as shouts of astonishment filled the aircraft.
“Chapman, do you see?”
The first officer came back on the intercom. “Well, ladies and gentlemen, it appears that Paris heard me, because they are also going to bed early tonight. Well, bonne nuit, Paris.”
Good night, Paris.
And good night to the rest of France, Eastern Europe and Western Russia, too. Every light for as far as they could see went out as a rolling wave of darkness swept across the continent, through Paris, and all the way to Normandy on the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.
Yet the pilots of American Airlines kept flying west toward the States, blissfully unaware of the catastrophe wrought by the first of many geostorms.
THANK YOU FOR READING GEOSTORM: THE SHIFT!
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READ ON FOR AN EXCERPT from GEOSTORM: THE PULSE, book two in the Geostorm series.
Excerpt from GEOSTORM: THE PULSE
Prologue
July 2020
World Futurists Conference
Washington Hilton Hotel
Washington, D.C.
“At a time when people are fearful, and many dystopian scenarios lurk ahead, it’s up to us to collectively imagine and build the future we want. Humans are the only species on the planet that need not just accept or adapt to changing circumstances—we have the capacity to consciously evolve and engineer our surroundings. We have the ability to imagine, the drive to discover, and the power to come together to turn our greatest challenges into opportunities. A brighter future is possible for all of humanity!”
Kimbal Brandt stood back from the podium and accepted the raucous applause of the attendees of the World Futurists Conference in Washington, DC during the hot summer of 2020. The nation’s capital was experiencing a record heat wave, generated naturally in part to shifting weather patterns and politically, as the country was bitterly divided over an acrimonious presidential campaign coupled with impeachment proceedings of a sitting president which were tearing America apart.
Throughout his keynote address to his fellow futurists, Brandt initially tried to remain upbeat about the planet’s prospects for the future. But then, it was if a sense of reality swept over him so he decided to remain true to his principles.
“This week, our speakers have laid out a vision of the future that promised everything from driverless cars to eerily humanlike robots. The scientists among us have described a gradual transition from the internet to a brain-net, a network in which human thoughts, emotions, feelings, and even memories might be transmitted instantly around the globe.
“By 2035, three dimensional printers will print clothing at such a low cost that labor will no longer have to be exploited in developing nations. Shopping will reach a whole new level as consumers will be able to download their clothing in the comfort of their home, and print it on these magnificent new machines.
“Artificial intelligence will become as smart as, and most likely, smarter than humans. AI will be embedded in every part of our lives from homes to hospitals, vehicles to robots. Robo-surgeons will flawlessly perform complex surgeries and robo-docs will even deliver babies. Predictive medicine will take place via a cellphone app and payment for such services will be made digitally using digital currency like bitcoin.
“To many, it sounds like exciting times ahead, and I don’t disagree.”
Brandt paused and rubbed his temples. He was chosen as the keynote speaker for a reason. He was highly respected for his work at Tesla and SpaceX. His visions from decades past had come to fruition. And, he wasn’t considered too extreme in his prescience.
Yet, this group, no, the entire world needed to open their eyes. Brandt had a foresight, a clairvoyance that he couldn’t explain, but one that proved itself over and over again. It was time to shock his audience, mainly because they needed it.
“Ladies and gentlemen, where one period in the history of humanity ends, another must begin unless, of course, we face extinction. Sixty-five million years ago marks the base of the Palaeocene period. Many of you know it as the K-T Boundary. This was a time characterized by a mass extinction of many forms of life on this planet including the dinosaurs. The K-T extinction event was most likely caused by the massive asteroid that crashed into Earth at Chicxulub that is now buried underneath the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
“To some, this may seem off-topic, but I bring it up for a reason. It’s fun for us to gather and discuss the extraordinary technological advances that will change daily life as we know it. On the other hand, it’s difficult to accept the realities that our days on this planet are numbered. Now, to be sure, there is disagreement as to when and how the next extinction of life on Earth will occur, but make no mistake, it is coming and I believe it may be sooner than we all want to acknowledge.”
Brandt paused and allowed the murmur of the futurists conversing with one another to roll through the conference hall. He’d put a damper on their evening as his keynote speech of hope and excitement was turning to an apocalyptic view of humanity’s fate.
“The K-T extinction was a geological epoch that lasted nearly ten million years, an unfathomable length of time when it is compared to our days on Earth. But, as I said a few moments ago, where one period ends, another must begin. And it did. Some argue that the catastrophic events that followed the Chicxulub asteroid impact gave rise to life as we know it today. A new epoch, one that has produced the most technologically-advanced species in the history of the world.
“Will this new epoch end? My friends, the answer is yes. Throughout Earth’s four-and-a-half billion years, extinction level events have occurred that destroyed virtually all living organisms, only to replace them with others. To think it won’t happen again is naïve.
“I stand before you today to say that we are entering the early stages of another epoch. Some refer to it as the Anthropocene, or new man, epoch. They maintain that recent human impacts from environmental pollution to habitat destruction has resulted in animal and plant extinctions so great that it’s changing the geological makeup of Earth.
“My research goes beyond blaming man and the industrial revolution for the woes on Earth. To be sure, these advances over the last two centuries have had a profound impact on our environment. However, I’m referring to a greater threat, one that doesn’t have anything to do with what mankind inflicts upon the planet. I’m talking about a natural phenomenon that has the ability to destroy life as we know it, and change the face of the planet. I’m referring to a full reversal of the Earth’s magnetic field.”
If Brandt hadn’t stirred them up with his earlier statements, then this c
ertainly did. Several of the attendees voiced their displeasure with his statements. The concept of the wandering poles was accepted by all in the futurist and scientific community, but most adhered to the premise that the reversal of the magnetic field would take thousands of years to occur, allowing man to adjust accordingly. In the minds of the futurist community, a pole shift was hardly a scientific theory that would result in an extinction level event.
“Please, my friends, hear me out. The prospect of a pole shift is very plausible and entails more than the needle on a compass pointing in a direction different from the norm. It’s what happens during the magnetic field reversal that should concern everyone in this conference hall. We rely upon electronics and our glorious technological advances, yet we underestimate the natural phenomena that could erase two hundred years of scientific breakthroughs.”
A member of the audience shouted, “An epoch doesn’t occur overnight!”
“In most cases, that’s true, and we should be grateful for that. Other than the big ones, like eruptions of supervolcanos or massive impact events, an epoch is usually gradual. There are exceptions. The geologic record reflects that the planet’s magnetic field has wandered and reversed in the course of a human lifetime. Think of this for a moment, over the past several days, we have excitedly laid out our vision of future technologies in the years 2035, 2050, and beyond through the end of this century. Fifteen, thirty, or even fifty years from now, the pole shift could occur resulting in a complete reversal of the magnetic field that protects us from the Sun.
“Without that protective shield, all of our grand technologies will be rendered worthless and moreover, what was once frozen will melt, and what was once barren, will flood. It will be an environmental disaster of epic proportions and we are wholly unprepared to accept this premise, much less adjust our visions of the future based upon this eventuality.”
