Instant Darkness Read online

  He finished gathering his papers, placing Emma’s note on the top, when Rae Ann stuck her head in the door. “Do you want to have breakfast with me?” she asked.

  “I already ate, Rae,” he said, “but how would you like to go on a road trip?”

  3

  Nick slammed his hand on his desk, then ran both hands through his hair.

  “This isn’t right,” he muttered.

  He was frustrated with what the numbers were telling him about the insulating material in the ISO-mug. If his calculations were correct, they would need so much of the product that it would be like drinking from a container the size of a flowerpot just to get a cup of your favorite hot beverage.

  “I have to be doing something wrong,” he said.

  That might’ve been true, but when they had researched this material, he was sure they’d done tests that gave better yields with less content. Had he studied the wrong stuff? He knew his boss had worked on this before sending it his way for design work. Something was way out of whack. He felt his frustration rising and decided to take a step back.

  He analyzed the specs that came with the file when he took on this project, and he was surprised when he found two materials sheets. He would have sworn there was only one when he’d checked before. He was confused for about thirty seconds, and then decided he’d be thankful instead. If there was a second compound, then maybe he wasn’t designing mugs the size of coffee cans after all.

  Nick started punching in numbers for the second material, hopeful that he’d still be able to design an elegant hot liquids container.

  The calculations were looking better, but he double-checked both, just to make sure he wasn’t in error. He didn’t usually make rookie mistakes like that.

  He was deep into the specs when a knock on the door disturbed his concentration, and he swiveled to see Corey entering the room.

  “I’m busy, Corey,” Nick said. “Can this wait?”

  “No,” Corey said. “There’s a solar flare that’s sending a solar storm toward Earth.”

  “Corey, your science project can wait, can’t it? I’m swamped here,” Nick said, turning back to his computer.

  “This isn’t a science project, Dad. You’ve got to listen to me.”

  Corey stepped over to his desk and put some papers on it.

  “Corey,” Nick said, picking up the papers and handing them back to his son. “You know not to disturb me when I’m working. Take this away, and I’ll talk to you later.”

  Nick fixed his eyes back on his computer screen, but out of his peripherals, he saw his son still standing there.

  “It can’t wait, Dad. I know you think Emma’s dad is a doomsday nut job, but I think he’s right this time. It’s on the news.”

  “What?” Nick turned back to his boy.

  “Pull up the news, Dad. It’s crazy what’s going on.” Corey motioned to the computer screen.

  Nick opened his browser and pulled up his favorite news website. On an embedded video, a group of talking heads were debating the problem. Corey crowded in behind to look over Nick’s shoulder as a couple of men argued over the impact of the solar storm.

  The speakers’ names weren’t listed, but Nick saw a bald man in glasses who was explaining that most people wouldn’t even notice the interruption in service. The guy across the table from him shoved his chair away from the table and called the bald guy an idiot. Then he picked up a chart that showed the severity of this event, that it was way beyond what humanity had seen before.

  But then a banner flashed across the bottom of the screen, saying that people were best sheltering in place, not to panic and clog the roads. FEMA and the Red Cross would be setting up centers to help people get through the crisis.

  “See that,” Nick said, pointing to the banner. “The authorities are advising that we don’t travel. We should do what they say and stay put.”

  “Emma’s dad didn’t believe that,” Corey said. “They’ve gone to the hills in Vermont, so they’ll be safe. I think we should go too. They left us the directions.”

  “If Abram wanted us along, he would have come and told me about this, Corey. A note from Emma does not constitute an invitation.”

  “He didn’t have time. That’s why Emma drew us a map. And she’s going to share her location with us so we can find our way there.”

  “Share her location?”

  “With her cellphone, Dad. Listen, we can’t stay here. We won’t have power or water and then it’ll be chaos with all the people around here.”

  “Corey, the core of engineers will sort it out,” Nick said. “We should stay here in our own beds. We’ve got plenty of food for a few days. The ‘crisis’ should be over by then.”

  “No, Dad, it won’t. Mr. Patterson thinks it could be a year or more before things are back to normal. We could be herded into the Verizon Arena, or someplace like that. You don’t want to be stuck on a cot, fighting for food with a bunch of strangers, do you? Especially when we could be safe with people we know.”

  “Corey, if there’s no electricity, how are we going to gas up our car for a trip to Vermont? We need a full tank to get up into the mountains.” Nick frowned at his son. Why was he pushing so hard on this? Of course—Emma. The two couldn’t bear to be separated.

  “If we go now, you’ll still be able to get gas. The solar storm hasn’t hit yet. But if we wait, then the roads will be full of cars that can’t move, either out of gas or their computers fried. We need to go now, Dad.”

  The computer monitor was displaying pictures of a flare jumping off the surface of the sun. Nick was fascinated. How could something so far away possibly affect them? It seemed like nonsense. A solar flare taking out the power infrastructure of the eastern coast of the continent? It was ludicrous. And he had work to do—he couldn’t be haring off to Vermont just in case there was an emergency. Especially when he had his doubts about his welcome when he got there.

  “All the official government announcements say to stay put, Corey,” Nick said, pointing again to the rolling banner at the bottom of the computer screen. “Look here. ‘Shelter in place. Don’t clog the highways. Assistance will be available in your location.’ Why leave when everything will be fine here?”

  “Because it won’t. Why can’t we just go where we know it will be safe?”

  “Corey, if we are going to lose power, I really need to get this work done. I’ll think about leaving when these calculations are done, okay? I can’t really focus on anything else until this is done. Go spend some time with your sister, and I’ll talk to you when I’m done here.” Nick made a sweeping gesture with his hand, indicating the papers and file folders on his desk.

  Corey let out a small sigh of defeat. “Don’t blame me if we end up stuck here with no food or running water. No heat when the cold weather sets in, and no lights when it gets dark at four in the afternoon.”

  “Don’t you think you’re being a little over-the-top, Corey?” Nick asked. “There is zero chance the world is coming to an end. I’m sure the power will go out for a day or two, but we’ve dealt with that before. Now please let me finish my work.”

  “You never listen to me,” Corey said between clenched teeth, then he slammed out of the room.

  Nick looked at the door for a moment, hearing Corey’s footfalls fade as he stormed away. Then Nick closed his internet browser and shook the thoughts of the “event” out of his head. He had work to do.

  Corey lay on his bed and ran the conversation with his father through his mind. It was just like his dad to ignore what Corey had to say. And it wasn’t only Corey, but Mr. Patterson too. His dad wasn’t stupid; he was arrogant. He thought he knew everything about everything. Corey slammed his fist into the bed. He just had to get to Vermont, and he couldn’t leave his dad or his sister. And anyway, he couldn’t drive himself; he only had a permit.

  Rae Ann poked her head around his door. “What’s wrong, Corey?” she asked.

  “What makes you think something is
wrong?”

  “I heard you stomp into your room,” she said.

  “Yeah, Dad won’t listen to me, and it’s really important this time.”

  “Why?”

  “Because there’s a solar storm and we might lose all our power,” he said. “We should go somewhere safer.”

  “What’s a solar storm?” she asked. “Is it like when it’s too sunny?”

  “No, Rae, it’s when the sun shoots a solar flare from its surface, and the electromagnetic waves reach the Earth. It causes the power to go off. Here, let me show you.” He opened his laptop, and Rae Ann sat cross-legged on the bed next to him. He pointed to an image of the sun with a flare erupting from its surface. “See that? That’s a solar flare.”

  “That’s not big enough to reach the Earth,” Rae Ann said, pointing to another picture that showed the Earth in relation to the sun. You could hardly see the flare in that picture.

  “It shoots out invisible waves,” Corey said, “and they hit the Earth.”

  “Will the school be okay? It won’t explode the school, will it?”

  “No, it doesn’t explode buildings, just electronics.” He noticed she was looking at the computer with wide eyes. “The computer wouldn’t explode, silly, just stop working. I don’t think anything actually explodes. Everything just stops working, and the world goes dark.”

  “Even in the day?” Rae Ann was looking fearful again.

  “No, not during the day. It’s an expression—when electricity stops working, they say the world goes dark. But obviously, if the sun’s out, there’s still light. It’s just that there are no radio signals or light coming from Earth anymore. Or at least the part of the Earth affected by the pulse.” Corey realized it was probably more complicated than that, but it was above his pay grade.

  “How do you know the sun’s going to spit rays at us?” Rae Ann asked.

  “Because the news says so. Scientists know all about the sun, and they take pictures every day to see what it is doing,” Corey said. “And Mr. Patterson said so too.”

  “Dad says Mr. Patterson is a nut job and I shouldn’t believe a word he says.”

  “I think Mr. Patterson’s right this time, Rae. The science backs him up.”

  “But the news people are telling us not to leave. They say nothing bad is going to happen and that we should stay home.”

  “Since when do you watch the news?”

  “You left the TV on last night, and I heard what they were saying. I think you are making it up because you want to hang out with Emma.” She turned to leave. “Corey and Emma, sitting in a tree,” she chanted as she left.

  He threw a pillow after her retreating form, but it hit the door as she closed it after herself.

  “She thinks she’s so funny,” he muttered.

  Corey studied the map on Emma’s note and checked his phone for her location. She hadn’t arrived there yet. He wished his dad hadn’t had his phone when Emma called—maybe he could have gone with her. Except family was on the top of Mr. Patterson’s list of essential things. He would say that Corey needed to stay with his own family, even though Corey felt like Emma was his family.

  What did he have to do to get his dad to pay attention?

  Soon, when the power went out, it would be too late.

  He pounded his mattress again.

  4

  Emma sat cramped in the back of the Land Cruiser, a plastic crate containing supplies jammed into her knees. The jump seat wasn’t the most comfortable at the best of times, but now there was no place for her feet—they were stuck under a duffle on one side of the crate and a grocery bag on the other.

  She supposed it could be worse. Most of the luggage was on top of the truck—if the weather were wet, that would be in here too. She didn’t know why it was such a noisy vehicle, but it was a good thing they weren’t trying to have a conversation, since no one would be able to hear.

  She didn’t want to talk anyway. She was upset with herself for not ringing Corey’s doorbell that morning. Who cared if Corey’s dad would be upset with her? This was too important to just leave a stupid note with a map. What if she left something out? How would he ever find her?

  Why hadn’t she rung the doorbell?

  Or she could have thrown rocks at Corey’s window.

  Anything but nothing.

  She felt so stupid.

  Her Aunt Maggie leaned forward, and Emma glanced at her for a moment. A few years younger than Emma’s mother, Maggie bore a striking resemblance to her only sibling. She had long, brown hair, and her face was somewhat tanned, though Emma knew she had spent most of her days indoors. Noticing the bags under her aunt’s hazel eyes, she remembered that the woman had just worked a long shift at the hospital.

  “Are you all right?” Maggie asked loudly, looking concerned.

  “The world is coming to an end, and you’re asking me if I’m all right?” Emma asked.

  “Don’t talk to your Aunt Maggie that way,” her mother shouted from the front of the car. “Show some respect.”

  “But, Mom, it’s true. Everything is not okay. I abandoned Corey.” Tears sprang to Emma’s eyes, and she wiped them away with quick flicks of her fingers.

  Abram’s voice carried from the driver’s seat: “Enough about Corey. We can’t support everyone.”

  “It’s all about facts and figures with you, Dad,” Emma said, “but real life is more than that. It’s about helping those you love.”

  “So, you love this boy?” her father asked. “You’re only fifteen. What do you know about love?”

  “I know what love is,” Emma said. “I know you don’t abandon people you care for. A loving heart doesn’t sneak away when no one is watching, without even warning your neighbor what’s coming.”

  “Nick Caulfield would laugh in my face if I told him what I believe. I’m not wasting my time on that family.” Her father practically spat the words.

  “You could have convinced him,” Emma said. “You could have shown him the facts that convinced you. But you didn’t even try.”

  Abram’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t speak. Emma felt her mother’s eyes on her in the rearview mirror and noticed the brief shake of her head.

  Aunt Maggie reached across the gap between them and took Emma’s hand, squeezing it in support, but Emma’s mouth tightened into a thin line as she gazed out the window. There was nothing new to catch her attention out there. Nothing but trees from Concord to Lebanon, New Hampshire, then there was maybe five minutes of country homes, commercial buildings, and shops before they crossed the bridge into Vermont. She caught a glance of the VA hospital there, and then it was almost nothing but trees and rock face next to the road until they took the off-ramp from the interstate.

  To Emma, this was the most boring drive in the world. There was nothing to take her mind off Corey, and the ache in her chest increased the further they traveled away from home.

  Nick was having trouble focusing on his work. The idea that Corey and Abram might be right kept creeping into his consciousness and breaking his concentration.

  Finally, he reopened his internet browser and searched for solar storms and CMEs. He stayed away from the mainstream news and instead focused on scientific websites like NASA—the National Aeronautics and Space Administration—and NOAA—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He also pulled up scientific pages from independent scientists that weren’t required to follow the government line and downplay the seriousness of an active flare.

  What he learned chilled him. The power outage resulting from a solar storm could cause power to be out for months, if not years, if it was strong enough. Already, there were alerts stating airports were shutting down in preparation for the next big flare. Part of the problem, he read, was that the electromagnetic energy released during a solar flare traveled at the speed of light, so their effect on the Earth happened concurrently with their appearance. The science of prediction was not exact, so the blackout on Earth could not be predicte
d in time or duration or amount of damage done to the infrastructure.

  Nick switched back to the local news channel to find that grocery stores and pharmacies were overrun with shoppers, and some people had resorted to looting. There was talk of shutting down the central power generation plants to reduce damage to the large power transformers. Why it mattered if power was flowing through them when the pulse hit, Nick didn’t know.

  What he did know was that he was totally unprepared for this kind of emergency. The house held what water would come through the pipes and into the hot water heater, and a day or two worth of food, and that was all.

  But he was pretty sure that Abram would have invited him to the mountains if he’d wanted Nick’s family there, and wouldn’t have left it to a teenaged girl to issue the invitation. It went against the grain to go there and ask to be let in. Nick didn’t need help. He was perfectly capable of taking care of his family on his own. Hadn’t he taken on the role of both father and mother when Rochelle died? Yes. Had he asked for help from anyone? No. He’d turned away the traveling nurses and the social workers and the volunteers who offered to babysit the children. He’d taken meals brought by neighbors only because he did not want to hurt their feelings, careful to discourage any repeat offerings by telling people that his children were picky eaters.

  They were not.

  He just didn’t believe in taking assistance of any kind. If you couldn’t support your own family, then you were a failure. But, on the other hand, he hadn’t anticipated this emergency, and he didn’t have the skills to ride it out here at home. He would eventually have to take his children to a shelter with thousands of strangers, and he assumed Abram’s camp would be preferable to that. Even if he were unwanted, at least they would be with people they knew. And he’d be able to help there, not just lay around on a cot all day.