Sunburn (Book 1, The Events Trilogy) Read Online Free

truck would have to take its chances in the garage. He opened the hood and stood looking at the big engine with its complex systems. He couldn’t imagine what to do to protect its delicate electronics.
    The radio had talked about the power disruptions that might occur, but the emphasis of the story seemed more that it would be the greatest light show ever. They deliberately hid the truth about what was coming to avoid panic. There was no mention of the national grid powering down because the government could still not agree to do it.
    But Will was not fooled. He knew that if the Aurora Borealis was coming to West Virginia tomorrow night it would be because of a very severe geomagnetic storm with lots of electric disruption. An hour on the internet confirmed his thinking. The fact that they were downplaying it made him suspect the worst.
    He made a trip to the hardware store but almost nothing was left in the way of batteries for his flashlights. He had plenty already but he was sure there would be no more available for some time.
    “ Everything was gone an hour after the TV story broke,” the owner told him. “It’s the usual craziness like before a big snow storm.”
    Same thing at the gun store. All the plug and 0-0 shotgun ammunition was sold out, so he settled for some bird shot. What else might he need? He had been planning for so long. He was probably better prepared than anyone else in the state. But he was uneasy. Had he forgotten something?
    Mary Roche. They had gone out from time to time, but she wasn’t really his girlfriend. But what would happen to her now? Maybe she was wondering the same thing--
    He found her finishing her shift at the truck stop as though nothing was about to happen.
    “Hello, Will,” she said. Her red hair was a mess and her hair flushed from the heat of the kitchen, but she looked good , as always. What should he say?
    “ Uh, hi, Mary. Are you okay?”
    “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
    “Well, there’s that big geomagnetic storm—“
    “Oh, I don’t put much stock in that stuff. You know how it is. They always predict terrible storms and people run around like chickens with their heads cut off and buy up all the bread and milk and it turns out to be a few inches of snow and a little wind.”
    “It might be a tad worse than that this time,” he ventured quietly.
    She stopped wiping the counter and looked at him. Will did not have a reputation for being melodramatic. He was quiet, minded his business and didn’t bother anyone. So what if he was a bit of a recluse? That was his right, people thought. But if he was alarmed, perhaps she ought to be too—?
    “Do you really think so?”
    “I’ve been on the internet. A really bad geomagnetic storm like this one might knock out the power for years. There’d be no trains or cars for a while too. All the electric stuff would burn up and it would be hard to get new parts. Civilization as we know it might just end--”
    She hung the closed sign on the doorknob, poured two cups of coffee and sat in a booth with Will.
    “So you came to warn me.”
    “Yes. I’ve been preparing for this for a long time.”
    She looked at him quizzically.
    “I know, I wasn’t sure what would happen but I somehow knew something big was coming. I thought—I thought, well, maybe you might like to uh, share it with me. You’d be safe. Most people are not going to be very safe after tomorrow night.”
    She thought for a moment. She had never like d to plan ahead much, to confront problems directly. But maybe this time—
    “Can I see what you mean? Can you show me what you’ve done up there?”
    “Sure! Absolutely!”
     
    Mary thought it a little strange when they had to stop the Ford so Will could take away the camouflage bushes for his driveway. But instinctively she did not fear him. He was odd, but she was sure he was not dangerous, at least to her.
    She was impressed by the house with its solar electric system and even more so by the shelter