Stone Age by ML Banner

Apocalypse Survival Guide .
    We will continue to transmit bulletins as long as we are able to.
    For more information go to www.CMEResearchInstitute.org & click on “Bulletins.”
     

11.
    Onboard ISS
    6:00 A.M. E.S.T.
     
    The last time they received communications of any kind it was not good.  Both NASA and the European Space Agency warned of sever e disruptions or worse from the CMEs that were pounding Earth, and the larger ones coming their way over the next few hours or days.  Thankfully, although their communication equipment was useless, their other systems were functioning and were fairly well protected against the coming onslaught.  The other five astronauts were going about their normal duties, as well as double-checking the ISS’s safety protocols and the two escape capsules to make sure that nothing was missed, in case they had to bug out quickly. 
    They were about as protected as they could be, with their shielding specifically designed to take massive doses of radiation while in orbit above the protection of the magnetosphere surrounding the Earth.  Otherwise, they would have already left for terra firma now. 
    Their larger concern was how Earth would fare in the next day or two.  From what R.T. read from the last CMERI Bulletin, the size of the one or more CMEs headed to Earth were among the largest ever recorded and they were coming fast.  Assuming they are as large as estimated, the devastation would be enormous.  He remembers reading a book called “EMP: The Escalating Threat of an American Catastrophe” which talked about what would happen if an EMP from a nuclear bomb or CME were to hit North America.  All power would be out for months, years, maybe even a decade.  The world as they knew it would be over.   All they could do now was wait and see what happened.  Wait, and pray.
    R.T. stared, through the porthole before him, at the seemingly benign colorful clouds below and he felt utterly and completely helpless.
     

12.
    More Prepping
    4:30 A.M.
    Rocky Point, Mexico
     
    Upon returning from his ranch, Max unloaded Miguel and a few of their supplies at Miguel and Maria’s home in town.  Then Max headed back to his own beach home.  Max never noticed the late model Chevy truck that had been tailing them the whole way down.  He had other concerns. 
    About four hours before reaching Rocky Point, Max noticed a tweet on his phone.  It must have downloaded when he had WIFI service at his ranch house, since he didn ’t subscribe to Internet data on his phone.  The tweet was from @1859Storm, one of the Tweeters that he followed whose avocation for following CME data was better than any solar physicists, except perhaps, Dr. Reid at CMERI.  This one Tweet was one of his many daily Tweets reporting each day’s number of CME’s.  It read, #CME summary: 15 coronal mass ejections in past 24 hours.  (For updates visit:  http://t.co/KlepA5unnr).
    “Wow, fifteen in one day ,” he had said out loud, but not loud enough to wake Miguel who was sleeping off the previous day’s work in the front seat.  The sun normally emits anywhere from one to four CMEs during solar maximums and one every other day during solar minimums.  They were definitely in a solar maximum, so multiple CMEs were expected each day.  However, this number was completely unprecedented. 
    Max couldn’t open the picture because of his lack of Internet connection now.  He considered this and all the other bulletins, emails, & Tweets he had received the past couple of days as he turned onto Avenita Mar De Cortez. 
    He was no scientist, but he knew all the information was pointing to one thing.  He was out of time.  They all were.
    He pulled into his other house across t he street from his beach house, what he calls – to himself - his beach warehouse .   It was on a double lot between other lots already graced with two and three story edifices, all outfitted with many windows and terraces designed to afford sweeping