The Luminosity Series (Book 1): Luminosity (3 page)

“The
doctor said you can come home in a couple days, isn’t that great?” my mother sobbed,
attempting to appear hopeful with a smile.

“Yeah...”
I said, exhausted by the burden of emotional weight hovering in the air.

“I’ll
explain what’s happening outside later... just rest. I’ll be back in the
morning to check on you.”

“Mom,
I know what’s going on. Evan told me,” I said through tears. She dropped her
shoulders and swallowed.

“Oh...”
She stopped in reluctance before gliding to the bedside, taking my hand as if
to convince me we’d all be okay. But I was already fed up with the pretending.

“I
don’t need to rest. I need to go home. Please just get me out of here.”

“You
have to stay here so the doctor can decide if you’re healthy enough to leave.
Besides, you’re safer here. We’d be risking your life by taking you home too
early, especially with the violence happening out there,” she said.

“What’s
the point? It’s already over, mom,” I exhausted.

“Stop
it. I don’t care what people say, there’s still hope for us. You’ll make it through
this, and one day you’ll understand why you did,” she reassured me through angry
sobs of denial.

“How
do you know that?” I asked in a terrified whisper. She avoided the question for
several seconds.

“Because
you’re a fighter, just like your father,” she said firmly, without a hint of
sympathy. I turned my head away from her.

“Evan’s
the only reason I’m still here.” I was out of breath as she reached out to pull
my face back in her direction.

“He’s
not the only reason. You need to give yourself more credit, Aubrey. He may have
prevented your death, but you’re the one who has to fight to survive now. From
now on, you have to be strong.” Tears descended her shaky face as I nodded in
exhaustion. And before she could be pulled away by guards, she gave me one final
hug.

♦  ♦  ♦

Three
days later, I rolled down the hallway in a wheelchair. Evan accompanied my
mother, walking beside me with my bag over his shoulder and the crisp, dried
out roses in his opposite hand. His reassuring smile came unexpected. The world
was ending. I couldn’t imagine finding a reason to be happy again. And I didn’t
want him to fake it for the sake of pity. The way the two of them looked at me
as if everything would be okay again frustrated me. I’d never be able to
pretend like they did.

Outside,
the National Guard, FEMA, and The Red Cross had taken over the town. It felt
like a war zone. Judging from the broken windows and protesters flooding Main
Street, it already was. Even the old church was overwhelmed with people pouring
through its narrow doors. But now we’d be forced to swallow the truth—our lives
were a one-way path leading to darkness, and we were powerless to stop it,
regardless of our faith.

Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as we drove
home. Evan grabbed my hand against the back seat as we stopped at a set of
barricades before heading onto the highway. I dismissed his comfort, squinting out
the window at the surrounding land leading home. Construction began on the south
end of the city limits—a black wall, a border, a cage. And at that moment I
knew my home, my life, the world would never go back to what it once was.

By
the end of one week, our country was at war. That night, I curled up on the
couch in the safety of my mother’s arms. Between a flickering television screen
of static and distorted images, we observed the President deliver his speech of
reassurance. If reassurance is what you’d call it.

“Today,
I encourage the people of this great nation to have faith. With the support of
the United States Federal Government, our military, space, and technological
institutions, along with our brave citizens, we will prosper and rise above
this dark hour,”
the President stated.

Cameras
flashed as he continued to speak, producing a strobe-like effect behind the
podium.

“I
would like to turn your attention to the director of NASA’s Solar Dynamics
Observatory for a more scientific interpretation of this anomaly. It is my
honor to introduce the man accountable for this surprising, yet terrifying
discovery, Astrophysicist and Solar Research Analyst, Mr. Edwin S. Malcolm.”
But there was no applause, and the silence between his words only heightened
the concern. The man stood before the nervous crowd, towering over the podium. He
wore a dark blue suit the color of midnight, the lighting above him emphasizing
the shadows from his long nose and angular face. Embroidered designs of space
shuttles and sun rays were stitched within his jacket—a prideful status symbol
within the NASA community.

He
cleared his throat before speaking.

“Thank
you, Mr. President,” he said, his voice a mixture of baritone and articulate
monotone. Six long seconds passed in silence before his announcement was
delivered. “The Solar Dynamics Observatory at NASA has observed a series of
massive eruptions on the outer layer of our sun. These storms, or coronal
emissions, are multiplying at a rapid pace that we don’t yet fully understand. Due
to this anomaly, we’ve determined that our scientists were wrong about our
sun’s spectral luminosity classification.”

He
paused to take in the ominous silence and ghostly, confused faces of the crowd.

“For
billions of years, our sun has exhausted a large magnitude of gases. But within
the last few decades, we have observed it burn up its fuel more efficiently. Due
to the increase in sunspots and solar flares, we have observed its energy diminish
at an unprecedented speed—a pace never before observed in the history of star
observation. If our estimations are correct, within just one decade, we predict
that Earth will only be able to absorb ten to twenty percent of the sun’s
current x-ray luminosity.”

A
crescendo of chatter, whispers, and commotion overlapped his words before the
crowd was hushed by his microphone’s sudden spike in volume, creating a
deafening screech to interrupt their panic. “When this shift occurs, global
temperatures will plummet, creating what scientists and astronomers refer to as
a solar ice age. With years of extensive research and stellar observation, we
conclude that this development will last tens of thousands of years as our sun transitions
into a dimmer star.”

He
stalled to capture his breath. Aside from the intermittent clicking of the
cameras, the room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

“As
this process accelerates, solar storms will become a more serious threat. Solar
flares have already produced massive auroras that have appeared not just at the
poles, but as far south as the equator. The intensity of these flares give them
the power to destroy Earth’s ozone layer and magnetic field. In addition to
atmosphere depletion, it will strengthen the effects of solar winds over the
course of the next several years. Because of this, radiation will become a far
greater threat to this planet and its ecosystems.” He swallowed before
continuing. “Without the help of technological innovations, life on Earth would
go extinct in years to come.”

And
with that, the room erupted into roars of outrage before the television
broadcast blacked out. My mother gripped me tighter, as if to stop the fear from
shuddering through me. When the screen lit just seconds later, the room was
quiet again before the man nervously raised his voice.

“As
I mentioned earlier, with this threat brings the increase in solar winds. We
are uncertain at this point how quickly this will affect our weather patterns.
But the effects of this unprecedented event will become more predictable as we
move into the future. Thank you,” Edwin said.

“Thank
you, Mr. Malcolm,” the President said in a wince before aiming his focus back
toward the alarmed audience. Now, body guards in black armor stood beside him,
ready to act if needed. “Due to this frightening, life-threatening crisis, I
have declared a state of emergency for the entire country. Preparations for our
future cannot afford to wait. NASA and our military have agreed to team up,
beginning construction for several underground safe zones we refer to as
colonies. These colonies will open a new era for mankind, capable of sustaining
and producing new life for generations to come. Timing is crucial, as we expect
to build fifteen bunkers, each with a capacity of supporting twenty thousand
people. With the assistance of the public, military, and our emergency
organizations, we can all help prepare for this dark transition. I’d like to
take a break now to address any and all concerns,” the President explained.
Enraged voices exploded at once. More cameras flashed before he could continue,
nodding at a reporter in the front of the room.

“What
about food, water, or other supplies? How will citizens be divided into the
colonies?” the reporter shouted out. The President blinked in frustration,
knowing people were already outraged about their dismal future. He cleared his
throat before proceeding.

“The
colonies will have the capabilities of self-sustainability. They will allow us
to harvest food and water, produce pharmaceuticals, clothing, equipment, and
other essential resources needed to survive. But until construction is fully
completed and tested, we will not have full functionality. As a precaution, a
large shipment of back-up material is underway, transported to the colony sites
by our nation’s military. This will continue until evacuation day, when our
time above the surface will end, and a new day in the colonies will begin. On
evacuation day, the chosen citizens will evacuate to their assigned locations.
Qualification into these colonies will be based upon several considerations.
There will be no discrimination, no inequality regarding race, ethnicity, or
gender. But to ensure our greatest chances of survival and prosperity, age and
health will be dominant factors in which our panel of government officials and
doctors base our decisions. This will determine the largest probability of survival
and procreation. Each citizen will receive information explaining the full
selection process shortly,” the President said.

“Mr.
President, what about the rest of the population? The colonies won’t be a
solution for everybody, so what else are we doing to protect our less fortunate
citizens?” a man asked.

“For
the remaining citizens, other safe zones and camps will be designated across
the country. They will house our population for a limited time after the
evacuation. Although they won’t have the functionalities of the colonies, they
will be a temporary haven for all other survivors,” the President said.

“Is
there anything else we, as citizens, can do to help defend ourselves against
the threat of rebellion and civil unrest? How will this war affect our
economy?” a woman asked.

“Military
ground support and deployment will continue into the foreseeable future. Those
who seek to cause harm to individuals, property, or who rebel against laws and
authorities will be punished accordingly. As for the economy, monetary value
will stop after this year. In addition, I am putting a freeze on lending and
debt collections, so it is suggested you use this time now to prepare. Next
year, citizens must register for the Division of Assets program. This program
will divide our remaining resources amongst our civilians based upon efforts
and preparation. From there, each citizen will be assigned a specific mandatory
duty within their assigned territory. Labor will involve preparing supplies for
the colonies, medical care, and supplying food to our troops and civilians. But
it will also include the construction and environmental engineering for sustainable
energy. People will no longer work for money. They will work for the future of
the human race. In exchange, they will be provided food, water, shelter, energy
consumption, basic human survival needs, as well as the privilege to qualify
into the colony selection,” the President replied.

“Can
you explain the segregation of the states? How did you decide upon the
locations of the territories, and how will the borders protect our citizens
from the threat of war?” another man asked.

“The
separation of our states into territories is based upon geographical
sustainability. Moving and dividing our surviving citizens into equal-sized
borders was the best way our government could regulate and keep the people safe
from threats. Within the last forty-eight hours, the damage caused by destructive
warfare, panic, and rebellion has been far too overwhelming due to population
alone. Our military is trying to rescue the remaining victims who may be amongst
the devastation. Casualties are estimated to be within the millions…” the
President said.

“Mr.
President, do you have any other advice for our citizens on how to cope?” a
woman asked.

“Right
now it is your duty to stay calm, obey our troops, and do your best to carry on
with your lives as we continue to prepare for the evacuation. As time draws
nearer to evacuation day, there will be legal options for those who wish to
leave the world humanely through assisted euthanasia. I have also set up
several temporary locations where each citizen can talk to a counselor, receive
emergency medical treatment, or ask questions. In addition, there will be a
weekly presentation dedicated to understanding this scientific phenomenon, and
any breaking news updates that will run from now until that time. As far as
power grid failure, geomagnetic storms, or other weather-related events, we
expect these to continue unpredictably, and will respond as they happen. But please
be patient as we explore other energy alternatives. With your cooperation and
your willingness, we will not succumb to this darkness. With the use of science
and technological innovation, the human race will prosper once more.”

After
his address, more questions roared from the press. Cameras continued to shoot,
flash, and capture scenes of peril and uncertainty in the eyes of the
President, who tried to remain composed on the outside. But I could see through
it. It was the same fear we all had—the same doubt. There was little hope,
petty confidence in our survival. Even if we had the capabilities to overcome
this, human nature would destroy the world well before our sun betrayed us. Our
fall had already begun.