Legends of Amacia: The Gathering Shadow
Chapter 14: Super Cyclone Knut...Nullified

On the other side of the world in Sumatra, the whole island was bracing for the largest super cyclone the Indian Ocean had spawned in two hundred years. The storm erupted out of nowhere in a matter of three days. As it bore down on the western end of Sumatra, Dan, Chris, Jerry, Mary and Dennis stood in the portal chamber looking at the portal’s hologram of greater Sumatra. The storm was approaching from the southwest and had sustained winds that topped two hundred and twenty miles an hour. The total extent of the storm was more than six hundred miles in diameter with hurricane force winds extending out almost two hundred fifty miles from the eye.

“That is one monster of a storm,” Jerry commented. “And it looks like it’s heading right for us.”

“That it does,” Dan said softly.

Just then, Cynthia ran up to the group. After catching her breath, she said, “It’s official. The weather services are calling for the eye of super cyclone Knut to pass just west of us. This area will be erased. The Indonesian government is already evacuating the western end of the island.”

Mary became visibly shaken and Dan noticed it. “Are we going to be safe here?” she asked.

Dan put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “No need to fear this,” he reassured her. “This place has weathered far worse than the cyclone that’s coming; however, I fully expect that either the US government or the Russians are using their weather machines to energize this storm. Do you remember the news yesterday?”

Mary nodded and Dan continued, saying, “Indonesia has one of the highest concentrations of Muslims outside of the Middle East. They are also known to harbor several Muslim terrorist organizations. In order to expand the War on Terror, the US is going to utilize every weapon they have, including their weather machines. They’re going after the Muslim Alliance around the world now.”

“But if that storm hits this island, hundreds of thousands may die who are innocent!” Mary declared with great concern.

“Yes, that’s a real possibility,” Dan agreed.

Once again, someone ran up with news. As he panted for breath, Dan asked, “What is it, Gus?”

Gus handed some papers to Dan and said, “You were right, Dan. This storm is a weather attack on Indonesia. And I suspect they hope to get rid of us in the process.”

Dan chuckled and said, “Not likely.” He looked at the papers and then exclaimed, “I knew it and here’s the proof! We were able to track the power surges from the HAARP facility in Alaska as well as from the smaller ones across the continental US. Four days ago, according to this, one of the largest power spikes ever recorded was focused on the Indian Ocean. This was a concerted effort by the HAARP and six of the smaller machines.” He looked at the last page and added, “Look here…there was another energy spike eighteen hours ago from the machines when the storm went from a high category three to off the scale. They mean to kill people en mass with this storm.”

“Oh, we can’t let this happen!” Chris said angrily. “I don’t think much of the Muslims, but it’s just not right to indiscriminately kill everything and everyone like that.”

“You’re right!” Mary said intensely. “But what are we going to do about it? What can we do about it?”

“I have a crazy suggestion,” Jerry crowed.

The group gave Jerry their attention and Dan said, “Well, let’s hear it.”

Jerry raised his hand in a wait gesture, and then proceeded to make his case. “We have learned much about the core and its capabilities since Hannibal left,” Jerry explained. “Those files in the Library we found about the core were most helpful. According to those records and schematics, we can use this puppy as a weapon.”

“Wait a minute!” Mary objected.

“Please, let me finish,” Jerry insisted. “This facility has ten thousand times the power of all the weather machines all over the world put together. According to the records, we can use it to control the weather just like they try to do. But where they are just playing with small potatoes in weather control, we can affect the weather of the entire planet from here and they can’t stop us. That’s what I saw in the records. They’re doing tremendous damage to the people and to the Earth itself with their weather wars. What I propose is that we use these machines to set up an interference wave with theirs and beam it into to the storm, ripping it to pieces. Then I suggest that we take out the HAARP facility with a targeted energy strike. We can’t keep letting them do this to everyone. It’s just not right.”

Dan looked at the storm as he considered the proposal. “Yes, you’re right about our capabilities,” he admitted. “We have learned to control the core much more efficiently since Hannibal has left. And your idea does have merits. But, to destroy the HAARP facility will reduce us to their level.” Jerry’s face fell slightly. Dan noticed it and stated, “This is what we’ll do. We’ll do as you suggested and shred the storm, but we won’t attack their facilities. What we’ll do instead is whenever they engage their machine, whether it be the US, the Russians, or anyone else who has access to the weather machines, we’ll do what we can to neutralize or at least minimize the damage they’re trying to inflict. We must be very careful when we use this technology though. Our greatest strength is our ability to remain hidden. If we act too many times, they may be able to track our transmissions and find us. We must be very particular in how and where we choose to use it.”

Jerry nodded and said, “All right. It was only a suggestion.”

“It was a good one, Jerry,” Dan commended. “This one time, we’ll use it to avert a catastrophe. Come, Jerry, Chris. We have work to do. Mary, I’d like you monitor the hologram and see whether we’re successful in slaying the monster they’ve created.”

Mary nodded and Dennis asked, “Can I watch too?”

Dan smiled and said, “Sure. Stay here with your mother and watch the show. Come on guys, let’s kill a monster.” Dan, Chris, and Jerry left heading for the core, leaving Mary, Dennis, Cynthia, and Gus to watch the show on the hologram.

An hour and a half later as the monster cyclone Knut swirled on toward the coast of Sumatra with every increasing ground speed, the Temple rumbled. Mary, Dennis, and Gus looked around. Cynthia had left a half hour earlier for the cafeteria. The whole Temple trembled slightly as a controlled energy burst erupted from the core, targeting the storm as it shot out of the Tiamat colossus. It lasted only a few seconds. The blast hit the storm and literally snuffed it out like a candle. There was a coronal flash in the center of the storm and a shockwave of high-pressure air spread out from the center of the storm like a nuclear blast, shredding the storm to pieces in a matter of minutes. A storm surge of fifty feet suddenly dropped to sea level, causing a ripple in the water to spread out in all directions. By the time the ripple reached the coast of Sumatra several hours later, it was reduced to a twelve-foot rogue wave that crashed ashore harmlessly.

When Mary, Dennis, and Gus saw it in the hologram, their jaws dropped and Dennis breathed, “Wow!” That was all he or anyone else there could say as they watched the storm just vanish in a flash of light. All that was left was some puffy cumulus clouds that continued to circle erratically for an hour or so before drifting off in the direction of the easterly trade winds.

Gus turned off the hologram and said, “Come on, Mary, Dennis. It’s supper time. We can tell Dan in the cafeteria.”

Mary nodded and followed him to a waiting golf cart with Dennis. “We should call him and tell him where we’ll be,” she said thoughtfully.

Gus smiled as they got on the cart and said, “Good call.” He then pulled out his communicator and informed Dan where they were going. Gus then drove them to the cafeteria where they had supper.

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