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wife. She had a family too, and they were very close. It was not turning out to be the day he hoped it would be.
     

TWO
    The mass and speed of Ignatio-17 was greater than estimated. It was even larger than the impressive comet McNaught. This was of little interest though, once its true course had been calculated. There was not enough time to determine where Ignatio-17 had originated from, nor how long it had been in existence. That was of little consequence now.
    This particular comet was composed of more rock than ice, and was highly irregular in shape. Coursing its way through the Milky Way Galaxy at speeds in excess of 25,000 miles per hour, there was no stopping what was to come. There was no ill intent on its part, as it had nothing to do with its own destiny. It was such a small thing in relation to the universe around it, yet it would affect so much.
    Ignatio-17 exploded as it survived to reach the plasma and magnetically charged fields of the sun. This collision, occurring during the time of a Solar Maxima, set off a series of events that would forever change this part of the solar system. Sympathetic coronal mass ejections in alarming scale displaced massive amounts of electromagnetic radiation. One of the greatest of these was directly in line with the earth. It took less than two days for the full force of the solar charged particles to set off a geomagnetic storm of unprecedented size and scope. The first indication that something significant was taking place was the sight of the Aurora Borealis being visible throughout the world. What followed that picturesque scene was devastating. The massive amounts of solar and cosmic radiation that passed through the magnetosphere caused an almost instant change in the earth’s axis. With this shift came the expected tectonic plate disturbances.
    Earthquakes of a magnitude that ripped continents in half took place one after another. Once dormant volcanoes mimicked their active brothers, filling the sky with volcanic ash and the land and seas with molten fluid, rising up from the depths of the earth. The polar caps were no longer such, and began melting as the increasing temperature of the planet and the rising seas claimed their share. Electrical storms crossed the landmasses as they ruptured and broke apart scattering the last vestiges of civil development.
    In collusion with the earth changing events, were the byproducts of civilization itself. Adding to the already elevated radiation levels was the destruction of the many nuclear reactors throughout the world. Some were swallowed up by the ground itself, others were ejected into the rising water, and some were simply ripped apart as their radioactive materials were released without restraint. Their ensuing meltdowns formed ‘hotspots,’ void of life, and added to the already rising planetary radiation levels. Refineries were ignited as they expelled their seemingly endless supply of natural fuels. There was no corner of the earth that remained untouched from the calamity.
    Solar flares continued their assault for the next forty-eight hours as the earth convulsed and moaned through its forced readjustments. Eventually, volcanoes subsided, tidal waves receded, and electrical storms lost much of their tenacity. The tectonic shifts that occurred were such that after years of agitation, they had finally separated to a degree that would inhibit any further significant activity.
    —
    The earth was calm once again, but it bore no resemblance to its former self. The skies were a gray and violet hue resulting from the accumulated amount of volcanic ash in the atmosphere combined with the ionized particulates remaining in the clouds.
    The seas were now all a deep blue losing their once pristine beaches, white sands, and clear waters. Debris was everywhere. Wind and waves were the only sounds dominating a once vibrant landscape. The birds were gone, the mechanical noise of the cities no longer generated their unnatural sounds,