“5… 4”
“Full power.”
“Zero. Target zone penetrated.”
“Degrees readings. Continuous please, and duration,” Abby said.
“10 seconds, no change”
“15 seconds, no change.”
Everyone was holding their breath. The only thing audible was the call out and the hum of the air conditioner.
“30 seconds, no..wait. 5 degrees.”
Abby exhaled for the first time it felt like.
“40 seconds. 5 degrees”
“50 seconds. 08 degrees
“60 seconds. 1.0 degrees”
Abby did some quick calculations in her head. Unless the E-PEGs could produce more power, it would not be enough.
“Metzler, what is the maximum power. Is this everything they have?” she asked.
“I could boost it from this end maybe another ten percent but it may destroy them.”
“Do it.”
“Are…”
“Do it now,” she said, only raising her voice slightly.
“Okay, done.”
“80 seconds 1.5 degrees.”
She knew it was going to be so close. Closer than she had hopped. Time was running out. KA5 would only be in the target zone another thirty seconds and then it wouldn’t matter.
At one hundred seconds it was at 2.0 degrees. She knew then that it wouldn’t be enough.
“Mr. President, we are going to be a little short.”
“You did all you could. It is what it is.”
When it exited the target zone it had been moved by 2.75 degrees. Nothing could change it impacting the moon at this point. Abby walked over and sat down beside Dan.
“Abby, you did everything possible. Now we can only hope for the best. You said it needed to move 3.68 degrees to clear safely. 2.75 is pretty close.
“Not this time. It will hit, there is no way around it.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
“You want to go outside and watch the sky?” Dan finally said.
“Sure, why not. I’m not good for much in here,” she said taking off the headset.
She thought to herself that Amiée would certainly have a front row seat to the main event. Actually millions probably had a better view than she did. When they stepped outside she instinctively looked toward the moon. She could see the huge giant ball hurling toward it at over 30 kilometers per second. What would follow could mean the loss of life of many here on Earth.
Dan wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. She let his warmth seep into her body. She was glad he was there with her. She needed his strength right at this moment.
“Man, I guess I didn’t realize you could see it this easily.”
“Well, a few minutes ago you would have had an even better view.”
“Actually Abby, I had the best view. Watching you was amazing. You are one cool lady,” he said squeezing her.
There was little more to say as they stood there watching the moon.
History recorded that at precisely 20:14.565 the asteroid KA5 impacted the moon. The collision ripped off a section of the moon but due to the glancing blow, the damage was much less than it would have if it had hit at just a half of a degree more. KA5, due to its softer composition, lost approximately 12 percent of its mass. The moon, it is estimated was at a loss of less than 2 percent.
Debris was thrown in all directions. The initial blow caused the moon to lose approximately ten percent of its gravitational pull due to the loss of momentum in its orbiting rate. It also caused the moon to tip slightly, offering views never seen by man on the ground before. Because of the impact spinning it back, little could be seen of the impact area. It was now behind the moon. The long term effect was yet to be determined.
Over the course of the next month, a continuous rain of meteors entered the atmosphere. Over one thousand were observed on a single night. Larger impacts took place in the US, Mexico, Canada, Greenland, and the Scandinavian countries.
For months, whales, birds, and other migratory animals became disoriented and thousands of dolphins, sharks, and other large fish were found on beaches all across the world.
The loss of life from the meteors was devastating. During the first month alone over 800,000 people had been killed by impacts. More would happen as time went on.
The orbit of the moon had changed as well, being pushed further away from earth caused a change in tides. Fourteen satellites were either destroyed or knocked out of orbit. A few were actually turned into meteors and they plummeted to Earth.
The weather patterns changed as well. Winds became more violent and the jet stream moved further south which also affected the ocean's patterns. The number of effects it had on life was profound. Ash and debris were thrown into the upper atmosphere causing darkened skies and a loss of crops in many areas. Rainfall initially decreased dramatically. When it did start raining, flooding took place worldwide.
Shortages of food, water, and gas resulted in widespread violence in every nation. The police, National Guard, and other military branches were called in to restore order as Martial Law was declared in the US.
President Strong had resisted resorting to Martial Law but as the violence escalated he had no choice. In some areas this actually increased the problem. Some military groups, better armed, began to stake out their own little territories creating prison zones.
By the end of his term, President Strong was no longer the laid back leader of the country. His face was lined and his hair had become gray. He laughed little and brooded constantly. He decided that he would not run for a second term, much to his wife’s delight.
CHAPTER FIFTY
“Any one home?”
“Dan?”
“None other.”
“Oh my goodness. I’m not dressed up. I haven’t even done my hair or put on make-up. I didn’t think I would see anyone at the office today. Its spring break,” Abby said, trying to comb her hair with her fingers.
“You look great to me,” he said and hugged her.
She was still in shock at seeing him standing there.
“So, what in the world are you doing here?” she more or less stammered.
“What do you think? I came to see you. You wouldn’t come to see me so here I am.”
“But it’s been three months since we have even talked. I figured you ran off with one of those alien women.” Abby said.
“I still couldn’t tell the boys from the girls so I gave up. I know I should have called. I spent a lot of time with the President. He is still feeling like he let the American people down. He was a damn good man. After he declared Martial Law he just kind of gave up. You know he isn’t going to run for a second term.”
“I saw it on the news. I agree. He was one of the best we have hand in my lifetime.”
“I feel the same way. Anyway, I’ll be shoved out the door when the new administration comes into power. That’s just the way it works in Washington. We all know it is coming and I decided to get an early start.”
“That seems so unfair.”
“It’s not like it’s a big shock.”
“So you just happened to be in the neighborhood?”
“Something like that. I am getting ready to rearrange my office and put my personal effects in it,” Dan said.
She looked at him quizzically.
“What office? Where?”
“Oh. Sorry. My office on campus here.”
“What are you talking about? What office? On my campus?”
“Oooh. I didn’t realize it was your campus. I thought it belonged to the University of Arizona,” he said smugly.
“Dan Fowler you had better tell me what’s going on right this minute,” she said.
“Well, since I’m going to be out of a job, I talked to John Dulles, and he put me into touch with Dean Riddell in the Political Science Department. Seems they it would be quite beneficial to have a former Secretary of the Navy on the faculty. So they hired me.”