A Distant Eden Read Free

possibilities that were outside their control. Some people looked at him kind of funny if he even brought the subject up.
    But now that he was actually involved in one, he found himself reluctant to talk about it. He didn’t want to try to explain to Fred what he thought was happening. Besides, he doubted Fred would grasp it. The conversation would only be futile.
    Roman was silent for a long moment—and then at last decided that it was best to prepare Fred as best he could. “I think it’s a massive solar storm. The evidence is pretty clear. Our cell phones aren’t working. My truck’s radio is not picking up any stations at all. A solar storm of sufficient magnitude to kill all power would block all radio signals, at least for a day or two until the worst of the storm passes. An EMP event could do it too, but the sky is clear of mushroom clouds and there were no blinding flashes.”
    A pole mounted electrical transformer blew up as they drove by it. That was a bad sign; the storm was intensifying. Soon electrical wires would overload with induced electricity from the sun’s storm, blowing out transformers and setting fires. Roman explained that to Fred and said, “Buried pipelines will also carry large induced currents and heat up. The induced current will speed up corrosion at an astronomical pace, causing gas and oil leaks that—combined with the high voltage current in the pipe—will cause explosions and fires to erupt from the ground.” Fred just looked at Roman with numbness. Roman didn’t think he was getting through to him.
    As Roman drove, he saw and heard other transformers blow and houses burning. Plugged in appliances, such as fans and coffee pots, were melting all over the city. Roman told Fred, “By tomorrow the city could be full of raging fires. There are no working fire departments now, or water pressure to fight with.”
    Fred sputtered, “Are you crazy? This can’t last! It can’t! It’ll all blow over in a day or two.”
    Roman, feeling pity for him thought to himself, “As of yet there probably aren’t a thousand people out of the six and a half million in the metroplex that’s aware of what’s happening, and what’s going to happen. Fred can see it, and he won’t believe it.”
    Roman drove the side streets as he worked his way parallel to the interstate. Cars were stalled along the streets they were travelling. He had to weave in and out between many of them, once or twice moving onto the sidewalk or the edge of someone’s yard to get past clusters of cars. No one tried to stop him, although he received curious looks; his was one of the very few vehicles still moving. The people he saw on the streets appeared to be bewildered more than anything.
    He knew that this bewilderment would in time turn to concern, and then to panic as people realized they had no water and very little food. Within a day or two, the solar storm would pass, and radios would work again. Those with battery-powered radios would avidly listen to whatever stations they could get. Then, as news of the worldwide situation spread, panic and rioting would begin in earnest.
    Roman drove past a small local grocery store. It was too early for the looting—yet. That would pass.
    Turning back to the store, Roman removed a model 1911 .45 caliber pistol from his glove compartment and tucked it inside his waist band. Fred stared at him with outright fear.
    Stepping out of the vehicle, Roman took his keys and went into the store. He bought as many canned goods as he could with the cash he had on him, nearly two hundred dollars. He already had plenty of food stockpiled, but as currency was now worthless, he wouldn’t walk away from an opportunity like this. The register didn’t work but the owner manually added up the total and Roman told him to keep the change. Roman tried to tell the storeowner to bolt the store down and haul off as much food as he could for his own use, but the owner’s interest was instead in jacking