36 Hours: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Fiction Series Page 6

  The sun erupted, creating a solar flare that heated the surrounding gas to one hundred eighty million degrees. Subatomic particles of radiation in the form of ultraviolet, gamma, and X-rays spewed into space at near light-speed.

  Eight minutes after the solar flare released from the Sun, Earth’s atmosphere absorbed the initial radiation pulse. The pulse produced extra ions and electrons, causing the planet’s atmosphere to puff out. As Earth’s atmosphere expanded, there was a drag on satellites, causing disruptions in radio and GPS signals.

  But the worst was yet to come.

  Today, the sun had another gift—a coronal mass ejection, or CME. The coronal hole in its northern hemisphere was incapable of containing the plasma burst emanating from the sun’s interior. Billions of tons of plasma were flung into space en masse. These huge bubbles of matter were rushing towards Earth, but at a much slower pace than the solar flare. At several million miles per hour, the CME could take less than a day to impact Earth.

  On this day, at this hour, the CME boosted the speed of the solar wind as it approached Earth. As it traveled through space, it created a shockwave of energized protons. The shockwave would catapult itself into Earth’s magnetic shield, and the protons would stream down on the north and south poles.

  The wave of energy was much larger than Earth. It was aiming for the bull’s-eye. It wouldn’t miss.

  The resulting geomagnetic storm produced dangerous currents in the atmosphere analogous to a moving bar magnet raising currents in a coil of wire. When the CME hit Earth’s magnetic field, it created a rapid oscillating effect. The powerful currents of energy passed through most conductive materials on Earth’s surface—anything containing a wire, an antenna, or similar metal.

  The CME would hit Earth with a force equal to a billion hydrogen bombs.

  It’s happened before.

  It will happen again—at Zero Hour.

  Chapter 13

  16 Hours

  7:13 a.m., September 8

  Ryman Residence

  Belle Meade, Tennessee

  Madison served Alex a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh strawberries and bananas. NewsChannel5 was streaming live on a monitor in the kitchen. There had been another terrorist attack instigated by ISIS, this time in Istanbul, Turkey. Madison couldn’t imagine living in a place where a terrorist could disrupt activities on a daily basis. America had seen terror since 9/11, but they consisted of random attacks in Orlando, San Bernardino and nearby Chattanooga. The media downplayed these incidents as isolated events, but as a mother, she always feared for the safety of Alex. She couldn’t imagine that type of violence in Nashville.

  “Alex, get your nose out of that iPad and eat your breakfast. I’ve got to get you to school.”

  Lelan Statom, the Channel 5 staff meteorologist, began his weather report, which highlighted the record heat wave. He showed video clips of heat-exhausted joggers in Centennial Park and passed-out homeless people in a makeshift camp near the Cumberland River. The unusually warm weather was expected to continue, as indicated by another video clip of the morning sun causing heat to rise off a paved asphalt road.

  “Mom, listen to this,” started Alex. “This is from the UK Daily Mail.”

  “The what?”

  Alex quickly ate two spoonfuls of oatmeal and replied with her mouth full, still focused on the iPad. “The Daily Mail, Mom, from England. It’s one of the top newspapers in the UK, and they always post stories online that our newspapers won’t.”

  “Ooookay.” Madison stretched out her reply. She grabbed her coffee road cup out of the cabinet and poured the last of the Folgers into it. She mixed in her cream and sugar as Alex explained further.

  “The headline reads SOLAR SPLASH,” she began. Alex, who was wearing her customary Davidson Academy uniform, clinked her spoon in the bowl as she polished off the remainder of the oatmeal and then pushed it away. She began reading.

  “In the hours before dawn, a solar flare blasted directly toward Earth and, shortly thereafter, it caused the aurora borealis to be seen throughout the UK and into much of Germany. In the wake of the large solar storm, those in luck will see the northern lights dancing in the night sky for days to come. Forecasters announced that people who live in high-altitude locations and as far south as Portugal will be privileged to see the aurora borealis through Thursday and Friday nights, assuming it remains strong enough.

  “Officials warn, however, despite the breathtaking beauty of the northern lights, scientists believe these massive geomagnetic storms can cause widespread disruptions in the use of GPS and airline travel. The Civil Aviation Authority, in conjunction with the Americans’ FAA, will be releasing an advisory statement at 4:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time.”

  Madison studied her daughter as she took the empty bowl and placed it in the dishwasher. She wondered if Alex slept at all last night. This solar flare business was beginning to become an obsession.

  “Alex, I understand this is getting a lot of interest in the news, but it is also a regular occurrence. The planet experiences northern lights all the time. Even that article didn’t raise any alarms.”

  “But, Mom,” Alex started, but cut off her own thought.

  Madison picked up Alex’s backpack and set it on the kitchen table. She gestured for the iPad and tucked it safely inside. Then she gave her daughter a reassuring smile.

  “Honey, I promise to keep an eye on this situation, just like I would any other threat our family might face. Honestly, solar flares have never been on my radar before, so I want to thank you for not only bringing them to my attention, but teaching me what you know.”

  “I know, Mom. They can be dangerous. We’re not ready for something like this, and Daddy’s in Texas. What if his flight is canceled or something?”

  Madison flipped off the kitchen lights and turned off the television monitor. She led Alex out of the kitchen and opened the side door, where they were greeted with a rush of hot air. This is ridiculous for September.

  Chapter 14

  15 Hours

  8:00 a.m., September 8

  White House Situation Room

  Washington, DC

  David Lemmon had been friends with NOAA’s Administrator Kathryn Sullivan for over thirty years. As he reached retirement, he found himself performing ceremonial duties on behalf of Secretary Sullivan as they related to NASA. The two piloted the Space Shuttle Challenger on its mission into space in 1984. Together with Sally Ride, the three worked closely together during the investigation of the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters.

  Today, Secretary Sullivan called on her old friend to perform another important function, one that was short on ceremony, and long on disaster. He was going to brief the White House staff and the National Security Council on the threat of AR3222.

  Lemmon passed through the southwest gate of the White House complex and presented the guard with his NOAA-issued identification card. The guard quickly found his name on the appointment list, and Lemmon was escorted up West Executive Avenue toward the West Basement entrance.

  Once there, his identification was checked again, and another secret service agent delivered him down the stairs, past the White House Mess, which was being cleaned up following morning breakfast for senior White House staff.

  They approached a locked door and Lemmon was provided access for his first, and last, visit to the brain center of the White House. Behind these layers of security was the White House Situation Room—a five-thousand-square-foot complex of rooms located on the ground floor of the West Wing. The main conference room was surrounded on three sides by two small offices, multiple workstations, computers, and sophisticated communications equipment.

  The well-appointed space was soundproofed, but small and slightly cramped. Every square foot was functional. Most visitors were impressed by the location and technology but were often surprised at the compact size.

  While it was widely known that important meetings were held here, the importance of the Situa
tion Room in the daily activities of the National Security Council and White House staff, together with its critical role in Washington’s network of key national security operations and intelligence centers, was less understood.

  It was commonly referred to as The Woodshed. The Situation Room was born out of frustration on the part of President John Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs debacle in Cuba. President Kennedy felt betrayed by the conflicting advice and information coming to him from the various agencies that comprised the nation’s defense departments. Kennedy ordered the bowling alley built during the Truman presidency removed and replaced with the Situation Room. It was his way of gathering all the players in one room so they couldn’t point fingers of blame in other directions.

  Before the age of electronics, President Kennedy required at least one Central Intelligence analyst to remain in the Situation Room at all times. The analyst would work a twenty-hour shift and sleep on a cot during the night.

  Other Presidents, like Nixon and Ford, never used the Situation Room. In most cases, a visit from the President was a formal undertaking, happening only on rare occasions. President George H.W. Bush, a former CIA head, would frequently call the Situation Room and ask if he could stop by and say hello.

  Lemmon didn’t expect to see the President this morning, but he certainly expected his briefing to make its way upstairs rather quickly. He took his seat at the opposite end table from several empty chairs which were reserved for the White House Chief of Staff, the National Security Advisor, and the President’s Chief Political Advisor. He was greeted with a few smiles, but was largely ignored by the other attendees, who knew each other from their daily activities.

  Everyone at the table except him was provided the day’s briefing reports called the Morning Book. A compilation of the State Department’s Morning Summary, the National Intelligence Daily and other agency-specific advisories, the Morning Book set the tone for the business of the White House on any given day.

  The first order of business was AR3222 and Lemmon’s presentation of a threat analysis to the highest levels of government. Lemmon was warned that the White House Chief of Staff was gruff and abrasive. He was not interested in long explanations. Further, Lemmon was told the President ran her administration on polling data, focus group interaction, and the advice of her political team. The media portrayed the President as being deliberate and thoughtful in her decision-making. In reality, she made decisions based on public perception and political impact.

  “Good morning, all,” announced the Chief of Staff as he entered the room and quickly took his seat. As expected, he was followed by the head of the NSA and the Chief Political Advisor. Lastly, to the apparent surprise of most in the room, the Secretary of Homeland Security walked in as the door closed behind him. A few heads darted around, looking for an empty chair, but there were none. “Secretary Blumenthal will be joining us for a moment.”

  “I’ll stand, thank you,” said Blumenthal. “I won’t be here long.”

  The Chief of Staff continued. “Ordinarily, we would discuss the President’s schedule first and then focus on matters in the Morning book, but today we have a special guest with us who only carries an L-Clearance.” Lemmon’s L-Clearance was hastily issued through the Department of Energy to allow him access to classified information up to and including Secret data and special L-Clearance limited information. The Situation Room regulars all held Top Secret Department of Defense clearance levels.

  General Mark Welsh, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, was in attendance and spoke up to introduce Lemmon. “Many of you may recognize today’s liaison from NOAA, David Lemmon. He’s a retired major from our Air Force and successfully piloted several Space Shuttle missions. Thank you for joining us today, Major.” General Welsh sat down and motioned for Lemmon to take the floor.

  Lemmon stood in awe of the entire situation. As he approached retirement, he had performed many tasks for his country, but none was more important than this one. His job was to inform the leaders of the greatest nation on the planet, not to convince them to take action. However, based upon the data, the United States, and possibly much of the planet, was at risk, so he didn’t plan to sugarcoat it.

  “Thank you, General Welsh,” he started. “I’ll get right to the point because time is of the essence. We are facing a catastrophic solar event the likes of which this nation has never experienced. Within fifteen hours, the entire United States, and most of the world, may be thrust into a world without power.”

  The room erupted in conversation. Pages were flipped through the Morning Book, searching for the source of this proclamation. Others looked to General Welsh for affirmation that Lemmon wasn’t insane. But through the brief series of outbursts, Secretary Blumenthal and the President’s chief advisors remained stoic. They know.

  “Please, everyone, settle down,” said the Chief of Staff. “Major Lemmon, please continue.”

  “Thank you, sir,” started Lemmon. “With your staff’s assistance, may I pull the image up on the screens?”

  “Of course.” An aide approached Lemmon, and he gave her instructions on the selected imagery to be revealed from his MacBook. The first photo appeared.

  One of the attendees muttered the word incredible.

  “Approximately four hours ago, a coronal hole, which has been monitored by facilities around the world, released an Earth-directed solar flare,” continued Lemmon. He pointed to a large dark space on the upper half of the sun. “This void on the solar disk, identified as Active Region 3222, is the largest of its kind on record. Encompassing nearly half of the visible surface of the Sun, it had remained dormant for two days, until just after oh-four-hundred hours.”

  “Major, how is this solar flare different from others that we experience on a daily basis?” asked General Welsh.

  “Sir, a relatively benign X3.3 flare has already hit the planet and is being absorbed by our magnetosphere in the ordinary course. There have been the usual reports of radio disruptions and flight navigational anomalies. However, the Space Weather Prediction Center is anticipating a coronal mass ejection to follow, which will carry the power of an X58 solar event. This could happen at any time, although forecasters point to later tonight.”

  Once again, the seated members in the Situation Room began to talk loudly amongst themselves. Only Blumenthal and the Chief of Staff remained calm.

  Blumenthal spoke first. “How accurate are these forecasts?”

  “Confirmed and reconfirmed, Mr. Secretary,” replied Lemmon. “The X58 solar flare is unprecedented. The bigger impact will be felt when we are hit with the accompanying coronal mass ejection. We believe it to be larger than the infamous Carrington Event of 1859. As the CME makes its way towards Earth, it will gather particles and accelerate with the solar winds. We’ve never experienced anything like it.”

  Lemmon leaned over to the aide and asked her to bring up another image. He moved to the side so the participants could see the entire rendering. He continued.

  “Because the CME is slower moving, we can more accurately predict the window of impact. This is the computer model of the CME and the accompanying solar wind colliding with Earth’s atmosphere at twenty-three hundred hours.”

  “A direct hit?” asked one of the attendees.

  “My god!” exclaimed another.

  Lemmon continued. “The impact of the CME will generate huge electrical currents in Earth’s upper atmosphere. More likely than not, the areas closest to the poles will be hit with large currents that will be transferred into electrical substations and disbursed throughout the power grid. It will have the impact of several nuclear electromagnetic bombs detonated over America simultaneously.”

  “An EMP?”

  “Yes, General.”

  “Have you been able to measure the strength of the CME?” asked the Chief of Staff.

  “We have, sir,” replied Lemmon. “For the technical aspects and potential effects of the impact for this solar event, I need to defer to Dr. Andrea Stanfor
d of the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, or ALMA, located in northern Chile.” Once again, Lemmon instructed the aide to manipulate the screens in the Situation Room. Dr. Stanford appeared on three of them, although the static reception made it difficult to see her.

  “Hello,” said Dr. Stanford, whose audio was working fine, but the video was experiencing interference.

  “Dr. Stanford, thank you for joining us,” said Lemmon. “Due to the interference we’re experiencing on this end, we’ll dispense with the preliminaries. The first question for you is whether you have been able to measure the strength of the inbound coronal mass ejection?”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Dr. Stanford. “The CME will generate a geomagnetic storm, which is measured in disturbance storm time, or Dst. In layman’s terms, this describes how hard a CME shakes up Earth’s magnetic field. A typical Dst will be equal to negative fifty on the nanotesla scale. As you can tell by this transmission, the earth is experiencing the effects of a negative fifty influence at this time. Several decades ago, the worst geomagnetic storm ever recorded caused power outages across Quebec, Canada. The 1989 event registered a negative six hundred on the nanotesla scale.”

  Lemmon moved toward the microphone and directed a question to Dr. Stanford. “I realize we didn’t have sophisticated instruments in the nineteenth century, but are you able to provide us an estimate of the strength of the Carrington Event? Most of us know the effect on the nation’s limited telegraph system.”

  “Yes,” started Dr. Stanford. “Several modern studies estimate the strength of the September 1859 geomagnetic storm to be in the range of negative eight hundred to negative seventeen hundred. That’s triple the 1989 storm.”

  “Dr. Stanford, this is Secretary Blumenthal of the Department of Homeland Security,” he said as he approached the front of the room. “Do you have an opinion as to the effect a Carrington-level event would have on our power grid today?”