THE COMETS TAIL
Chapter Two The Comet Arrives
Everything was ready. The day passed slowly. The comet was not due to arrive until the evening. Everyone watched on the new telescope installed on the mountaintop. It was determined the comet would pass between the Earth and Venus. It would come within ten thousand miles of the Earth. Less than one degree off a dinosaur type extinction. As it was, the Earth was projected to bend the comet's path back toward space, enabling the comet to move safely away for its return path from around the sun. It was a fierce-looking monster in the telescope. Up close it looked like a huge rock with a tail of debris that stretched completely out of the telescope's picture. By mid-afternoon you could see it without the telescope. TV was going insane with the reports of craziness worldwide. Even reports it would miss did nothing to calm the raw nerves of the billions of people on the planet. Shortly after 9 P.M. the comet came abreast of the Earth. Their sensors were not picking up much from the atmosphere yet. They were scheduled to launch the first sensor rocket an hour after the comet reached the shortest distance. As it passed, the instruments recorded a distance of 10, 325 miles from the Earth.
Now it was time for everyone to get to work. Captain McCormick and Lt. Burns began preparing the first of ten rockets to launch into the sky for the readings wanted. Sergeant Fareed and Airman Towns were recording everything coming through the computers. The pictures were going to be spectacular, but that was for later. The scientists were recording everything they could as they scurried around the room. They were quiet, but efficient.
A couple of hours later, the meteor showers began as the rocks and debris began falling into the atmosphere. It was a meteor shower on steroids. It looked like the entire sky was on fire. It quickly went from the Northern Lights to the sky on fire. The rockets were having difficulty getting through enough to send back readings. A couple were destroyed by burning rocks that still had a punch.
However, most were able to send back reams of computer data. The scientists were too busy accumulating everything and making sure everything was working to even get to watch.
By 3 A.M. the sky started calming down. Most of the debris had burned up, and they did not notice anything that hit the earth. By 4 A.M. everything was quiet again. They could see the comet leaving on its way around the sun. Its tail was still around the earth like a cloud, but the rocks and debris were replaced by a halo type glow. It looked like the Earth was engulfed by a morning fog on the ocean. Dawn was only a note on paper that morning. There was no other sign of sunlight at 6 a.m. It was as if someone had thrown a blanket over the Earth.
The sun finally broke through the haze late in the afternoon. The tail slowly departed into space, leaving the earth to soak up the energy from the sun. Dusk fell on a planet that looked exactly like it did the day before. In fact, like everyday for thousands of years.
Core switched the intercom on. "Every department report status." Within a few minutes, each department had reported no issues. The scientists were busy with their computers. Core had no idea what they were doing.
He called Sergeant De Louis and Airman Perkins to the control room. "I want you to take the Geiger counters to every door and every joint of the outside skin. Make sure there are no leaks. We have no idea if there was anything in that light show that might have been dangerous, and I want to know if anything got in."
De Louis saluted. "Yes sir." They were off.
He suggested Lt. Murray, the doctor, to make one round checking with everyone to make sure there was nothing unusual before she dismissed her people. He then asked Captain McCormick to join him in his office.
They both settled into comfortable chairs and let out a sigh. "Well, whatever that was, that is something you will be able to tell your children about."
McCormick laughed. "If I ever have any. The Air Force is not a place to meet prospective husbands. Not for an officer."
"I know. I have never considered trying, but I have heard stories. I am sorry about your troubles."
She just shook her head. "It started at the academy. It wasn't often, and I believe it is getting better. I've had more friends than enemies in the service over the years. I'm still proud of standing up, even if it brought me here. My career dies in a hole in a lowly valley in Montana."
Core shook his head. "Don't give up hope. You are young enough to outlast the devils in the room. Just have faith."
"Look whose talking. Mr. "I'm bailing out of here when I hit twenty years."
"Ok course I am. I'm at the end. You are not. Have a drink for a day you will never forget and get some rest. I am sure our friends will be leaving in the next day or so." They toasted and went to their rooms.
Core was awakened by a call from the officer of the day. "You'd better come down here, sir."
"On my way." He dressed and was there in ten minutes. "What's up?"
Lt. Douglas, his second in command on the first shift, spoke. "It is odd, sir. The TV is all snow. No one is answering our phone calls or our intercom with the base. And Captain Stevens is here to see you." Captain Stevens is the pilot of the helicopter that was supposed to have left this morning.
"I thought you were leaving this morning after the doctors cleared the atmosphere."
Dr. Watson spoke up. "I'm not ready to open those doors yet. Something doesn't look right. The measurements are within the normal range, but I want to conduct some tests first."
"Okay, let's get on them. We need to find out why we can't contact anyone."
The scientists began running and rerunning tests on the air and soil. They put a radiation suit on and collected soil and water samples to test.
By now, it was mid-morning. They were just about to decide when Airman Abe Simons called out from the panel of computers. "Sir, come look at this. I can't believe it."
Everyone crowded around his screen. There, in the valley below was a young woman, no more than twenty-five or thirty. She was walking. It looked like she had been hiking. She was dressed in hiking boots and shorts with a blouse. The odd thing was she seemed to be oblivious to everything around her. She stumbled and tripped as she walked. It was like she was in a stupor.
"Doc. What about the atmosphere?"
"It looks fine. I don't think we have a problem."
Just then, Simons yelled. "Sir, there are a pack of wolves stalking her. They are going to get to her in a few minutes. Sir, let me go get her. We can't just leave her to them."
Core agreed, but didn't really want to interact with the outside world just yet."
"Agreed. However, when you get her back, you are to isolate the two of you in the ante room of the door. Do not bring her into this space until we are sure it is safe."
"Understood." He shouted as he was bolting toward the stairs to the front door.
Everyone watched the cameras as the rescue played out. He took a pistol with him and ran toward the girl, shouting at her. She was ignoring him, just stumbling as before. He closed the distance to the point where he could fire the gun toward the wolves. The sound convinced them to try somewhere else and they left. He reached her in a couple of minutes and grabbed her. She barely looked at him as he guided her back to the silo.
Core spoke up, "That is the strangest thing I have ever seen. What the fuck is wrong with her? Dr. Murray, I want you and one of your nurses to put the hazmat suits on and check her out completely. Test both every way you can. I want to be sure they haven't brought anything in here. I have a very bad feeling about this. Where are the TV stations? Where are our intercoms?"
Doctor Murray nodded and headed down to where Simons was coming in.
Core turned to Dr. Watson. "Any ideas?"
"Not really. She may have just been hit in the head and have a concussion. She may just be overwhelmed momentarily. We will know when we get some tests done."
"Okay, standard emergency protocols everyone. Each one start double checking your areas. I want a report in thirty minutes in the conference room."
Everyone was too busy to nod, they were just working the screens.
Simon was practically dragging the woman along. She didn't resist, but she didn't help either. She had not spoken a word, and her eyes were blank. He got her into the air lock and sat her down on a chair. Her clothes were torn, but she didn't seem to mind. It was almost as if she was a zombie. The thought sent shivers down his spine. We don't need any Zombie movies here. Besides, there weren't really any Zombies in the world. He really didn't want to find out that he was wrong.
About then, the Docter and her nurse came in. They were dressed in radiation suits.
"You guys look like Martians."
