The Black Clouds

  Jeff: “What’s the capacity?”

  Mike: “The sample box is 3 meters on a side, 27 square meters.”

  Sheryl: “Well that should be interesting.”

  Alan: “The boxes can’t be dissolved by the creature, and we have the double flush system to make sure that if there is a leak we can dump it quickly.”

  Jeff: “Sounds good to me. When can we take the sample? I don’t want the Cloud to move away before we can get it.”

  Alan: “Just give the word.”

  Jeff: “You got it. Take the sample. Those not interested in seeing this please leave the lab.”

  Sheryl: “I’ll pass. I’m going back to my office.”

  Tim: “I’m staying.”

  Carol: “Me too.”

  Dr. Snowden looked up at the monitor to see the Cloud still covering the facility exit, as Alan flipped the switch that began the process of drawing in the Cloud sample. The brownish gas slowly flowed into the box and continued to do so until it was about three quarters full.

  Jeff: “That’s enough.”

  Alan turned the switch back to off, and the process stopped. As before the Cloud sample began to quickly move around the box’s interior. It clearly seemed agitated and that it was frantically trying to find a way out. Dr. Snowden had to admit that its actions made the little hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He found it frightening to be watching something that even though they’d studied it for days they still had no comprehension about what they were dealing with. He didn’t realize it, but everyone in the lab was experiencing the same feeling. It’s one thing to find new life in a thermal vent on the ocean floor or under an Antarctic ice shelf, but to find something totally alien to our planet was something all together different.

  Mike: “There’s the electrical charge we see in the mother Cloud. This one’s a lot stronger. Probably because it’s agitated. It’s not going to last long putting out this much energy. All sensors seem to be working. Dr. Snowden, I’ll get you your compositional sample as soon as it calms down.”

  Tim: “I wonder if it’s trying to communicate with the mother Cloud above us?”

  Carol: “I would say it was. Separation seems to be a little traumatic for them.”

  Jeff: “Let me know when you have my sample. Everyone, I’ll have a briefing on what’s happening in the rest of the world at 3 in the conference room.”

  ~

  The team members filtered into the conference room as 3 PM approached. There was a map of the world projected above the table. A straight line was drawn from northern Mexico to the center of Kazakhstan. Along the line were periodic circles, one each in northern Mexico, Arkansas, North Carolina, Spain, Italy, Romania, the Black Sea, southern Russia, and west-central Kazakhstan. There were also four circles in the Atlantic Ocean. On six of the circles there were arrows, the one in northern Mexico pointed north, in Spain NE, in Italy NW, in Romania NE, in Russia NE, and in Kazakhstan NW.

  Jeff: “Hi, Sheryl, you’re looking better.”

  Sheryl had fixed up her hair and was wearing makeup: “Thanks, Dr. Snowden, I thought I’d fix myself up a little. I was looking a little ragged.”

  Mike: “I think you look gorgeous.”

  Sheryl: “Thanks, Mike.” She flashed him a smile.

  Jeff: “Okay, everyone, let me get started. As you can see on the map, the meteorites hit along this straight line. The circles are impact sites. As we discussed before only six of the impacts created Black Clouds. The news is that the Clouds seem to be moving toward each other. The ones in Spain and Italy are moving to meet in southern France. These Clouds are much larger than our’s since they hit in more populated areas. This is also true of the one in Romania. The ones in Russia and Kazakhstan are similar to the one above us. These last three are also moving toward each other and should meet somewhere in the Ukraine. The problem is that once the Clouds combine they are going to be overwhelming in size and destroying them will be much more difficult. The feeling is that we need to find out a way of either keeping them apart or killing them before they meet.”

  Carol: “I assume the ‘we’ that you’re talking about is all the scientists working on this problem and not just us.”

  Jeff: “Yes, I don’t mean to put this all on our heads.”

  Tim: “How do we know what will happen when two Clouds meet?”

  Jeff: “We don’t. I think the assumption is that they will just combine.”

  Tim: “If they hold to our ameba assumption, I’m not sure that’s what will happen.”

  Jeff: “What are you suggesting?”

  Tim: “I don’t know. I’ll have to think about it. Maybe, Carol’s simulation can give us some idea.”

  Carol: “I’ll take a look at it.”

  Jeff: “I’ve got my new sample, and I’ll be trying to see if there are any differences between this one and the samples I took of the smaller cloud.”

  Alan: “Funny thing about the new sample is that the current hasn’t really gone down. It actually seems to be increasing. I don’t understand it. I had to risk taking Dr. Snowden sample without waiting for it to die down a little. I’m going back to the lab to monitor it a little closer.”

  Dan: “I’ll join you.”

  Alan: “Thanks, I can use the company.”

  Jeff: “Any other questions?”

  Carol: “Yeah, has anyone else looking at these Clouds come up with anything that would be of help to us? What are other countries doing to stop these things?

  Jeff: “Apparently they are still trying the things we know won’t work. Their militaries are trying a variety of weapons on the Clouds without any success. The rest of the scientific community has been getting the same data we’re getting, but no one seems closer to finding a solution. Any more questions…that’s it on the update.”

  The group broke up with Alan and Dan heading for the lab. When they got there, Alan immediately started looking at the new data.

  “That’s weird. The electrical charge seems to be going up. I’d better let Dr. Snowden know.” He walked over to the intercom and pushed the button. “Dr. Snowden, you may want to come see this. The Cloud’s current is increasing.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  It only took a couple minutes for Jeff to arrive; he was followed by both Tim and Carol. Alan showed them the data.

  Jeff: “Yeah, that is weird. The last sample got weaker with time; this is just the opposite. Is there any danger from this trend?”

  Alan: “Well, I don’t think I would want to be here in the lab if it gets much greater. The sample and evac boxes weren’t built to protect against electricity. But we won’t reach a danger level for at least a few hours.”

  Carol: “If it gets too high, we may have to send it back outside. We don’t want to electrocute everyone or rupture the boxes.”

  Alan: “I agree. I’ll just hit the flush button if it keeps going up. The thing is I’m not sure how it’s generating the charge.”

  Jeff: “Keep at it as long as you can. Finding out how the charge is generated may be an important part of the puzzle.”

  Alan: “Will do, Doc.”

  Dan: “If it’s okay, I’ll stay with Alan. I can make myself useful helping with the analysis.”

  Jeff: “Sure, I’m sure he won’t mind. If you need me, I’m only a couple minutes away.”

  Carol: “We’ll get the data feed in our respective offices, so we can monitor it at the same time.”

  Jeff: “Okay, Mike, we’ll come back in a couple hours.”

  The three doctors left the room to Alan and Dan.

  Dan: “How strong are these boxes?”

  Alan: “Oh, they’re strong. Mike and I made them of a special tempered glass that is actually stronger than steel of the same thickness.”

  “If you had to get through this wall, how would you do it?”

  “Why would you want to know that?”

  “I’m just curious.”

  “Well, I guess if I really had to get th
rough I’d use the laser torch to cut a hole. It would be the quickest way. But I don’t see why we’d want to do that.”

  “You’re right. Why would we?”

  For the next hour, Alan continued to monitor the behavior of the Cloud sample and the readouts from the sensors. The charge actually began to increase faster than earlier, and Alan began to get worried.

  “Dan, this charge is beginning to increase almost exponentially. We may have to flush it sooner than we had planned. It looks like the charge is being generated by the Cloud’s ability to create a crude battery from its components. Can you watch that read out over there? I want to stay her and keep an eye on the electrical charge.”

  A few minutes later, someone quietly removed a fire extinguisher from the lab’s wall and walked up behind the man seated at the monitor. The assailant swung the extinguisher with tremendous force hitting the victim on the side of the head. There was an audible crack, and blood was sprayed across the monitor screen, table, and the floor. The body fell limply from the seat, fatally injured. The person then sat down at the computer terminal and began typing and continued to do so for about ten minutes. A pool of blood spread out from victim’s head on the floor. Then the person said, “Emergency command: Seal the Lab.”

  The alarm immediately went off, and the bolts that sealed the lab locked into place.

  Jeff’s voice exploded from the intercom. “Alan, what happened? Has the charge reached a critical level?”

  “Can’t really talk right now.”

  Carol: “What the hell does that mean? Why are the cameras to the lab off line?”

  “I turned them off. I also made sure you can’t get into the lab.”

  Jeff: “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to make sure that nature runs its course. This entity is a punishment for what we have done to this planet. We are reaping what we have sowed.”

  Carol: “Great, someone’s gone nuts.”

  “Call me what you want. I know what I’m doing is right.”

  Jeff: “Everyone meet me outside the lab.”

  Quickly Sheryl, Mike, Tim, and Carol joined Jeff in the corridor leading to the lab. They could see inside the lab through the tempered glass door.

  Carol: “Dealing with a killer Cloud isn’t bad enough, now we have a crack pot holding our lab hostage. I told you we shouldn’t have let that nut into our facility.”

  Sheryl: “Are you suggesting Dan has done this?”

  Tim: “Carol, you’d better look into the lab.”

  Carol: “What the heck is Alan doing? Where’s Dan?”

  Mike: “I see him on the floor over by the council but I think that large pool of blood is not a good sign. Alan must have hit him with something.”

  Jeff: “Sheryl, we need to get in there.”

  Sheryl: “Let me check.” She took off to find a computer terminal.

  Tim: “What the hell’s he planning to do?

  Carol: “Whatever it is, something’s going to blow soon. I was watching the charge from the Cloud, and it’s increasing rapidly. I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but it can’t keep going the way it is.”

  Jeff: “It looks like he has the laser cutter, the one Mike and he used to cut the glass panels for the box. It’s not too hard to figure out what he plans to do. We have to get in there before he cuts open the boxes. Sheryl, anything?”

  Sheryl had reappeared in the corridor. “He’s isolated the lab. I can’t release the doors unless I bring the system down and reboot. That take’s at least three hours.”

  Jeff: “I don’t think we have that long,”

  They could all see Alan using the laser on the evac chamber, slowly cutting a doorway.

  Mike: “We’re screwed if he cuts through the evac wall and the sample box wall. It’ll release the Cloud into the lab. The labs seals aren’t going to hold up long if that thing begins digesting them. It’ll flood the facility. With the Cloud still outside we’re trapped.”

  Carol: “Can’t we use the flush system to flush it out of the lab?”

  Mike: “I probably could do that, but the controls for the flush are in the lab.”

  Jeff: “It’s only going to take him about 30 minutes to cut a hole big enough to get through to the inner box. We’d better think of something fast. Sheryl, I want you to start on the reboot now.

  Sheryl: “Will do. The first thing I’ll do is cut off Alan’s access to the computer so he can’t do anymore damage. I think it’s referred to as ‘closing the barn door.’” She took off.

  Jeff: “Carol and Mike, see if there is another laser cutter in the facility. We may be able to cut through the lab door.”

  Carol: “Do we really want to do that? Won’t that release it into the facility that much faster.”

  Jeff: “We need to get to the flush system one way or the other or we’re dead.”

  Carol: “Good point. I’ll look around and see what I can find.” They headed out to beginning searching all the storage areas and small labs.

  Jeff: “Tim, any ideas?”

  Tim: “I was thinking how dying down in a hole in the ground really sucked. All they would have to do is fill it in.”

  Jeff: “Wow, that’s very optimistic. I was hoping for something a little more helpful.”

  Tim: “Let me go back to my area and see if I can find anything to help.”

  Jeff: “I’ll settle for that.” Tim left as well, and Jeff was left alone in the corridor.

  He went to the intercom and pushed the call button. “Listen Alan we need to talk about this. Is Dan hurt bad?”

  “I don’t know. I think he may be dead. I hit him as hard as I could. I wished I’d turned off the intercom as well. Now you’re going to blather to me about how wrong I am.”

  “You don’t see anything wrong in your behavior? You killed another human being,. He didn’t deserve that.”

  “We all deserve that. Look at it this way; we gave him a few more days of life. Anyway once I cut through these walls and release the Cloud into the lab, I’m going to open the lab door. He would have died then, just like the rest of us. That’s the point you’re missing.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “I’ve watched us destroy this planet for years; global warming, poisoning the air and water, making whole areas uninhabitable. It was only a matter of time until nature struck back. That’s why I volunteered for this, because I knew this opportunity would present itself, and I had to take advantage of it.”

  “But how is this any different from a hurricane or earthquake? Or any natural disaster.”

  “For one thing, these Clouds will wipe out all the humans on the planet. That’s something that has to happen for Earth can survive. It’s humans that are the plague. When I saw the Clouds, I saw the salvation of this planet from our mismanagement. I have devoted my adult life to trying to save this planet, and it was no use. Money is always the god. People didn’t care what corporations did to our environment as long as they could sit in their houses and watch their TVs.”

  “But we’re only a small group working on this. If you kill all of us, the work elsewhere will continue.”

  “Yes, but I thought our group had the best chance of finding a way to destroy the Clouds, plus there was no way I could influence the other research efforts. At least I can stop this one.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t leave a back door into the boxes.”

  “I wanted to, but I couldn’t risk Mike catching on. We had to pass the pressure tests. I had to make sure we got the larger sample. It had to be large enough to kill everyone here.”

  The back and forth continued for another ten minute when Alan reached a point that he wouldn’t respond to Jeff’s comments and just concentrated on cutting the evac open. Jeff just kept talking to him since he didn’t know what else to do.

  Five minutes later, Carol said over the intercom, “I got nothing here.”

  Tim: “Me too.”

  Mike: “Ditto.”

&nb
sp; Jeff: “Come back here I have a crazy idea.”

  As soon as these three were back with Jeff, he said, “Mike, if we had explosives, how would you blow the door?”

  Mike pointed, “Well I’d put a charge, here, here, and here. That’d blow the door off its hinges without doing much other damages.”

  Tim: “We don’t have any explosives.”

  Jeff: “I did some work with the FBI a long time ago and one of the things I studied was homemade explosives. I think we have the materials here to make some. Here is a list of materials I’ll need.” He handed Mike a list of common materials. “Get these things and meet me in the kitchen.”

  Carol looked into the lab at Alan, “He’s almost through the evac chamber wall. What the hell is happening to the Cloud?”

  They all turned in unison to see what Carol was commenting about. The sample Cloud looked like a small thundercloud. It was darker and had bolts of electricity flashing through it. Carol went over to one of the monitors in an adjacent room and came back immediately.

  “That thing’s about to blow. The charge is way too high. Mike, will the box hold?”

  Mike: “No, it won’t. I’d better get these items now. We’re running out of time.” He took off at a trot.

  Jeff: “Tim, I’ll need you in the kitchen with me. Carol, stay here and let me know what’s going on.”

  Carol: “Okay, but, between the Cloud, Alan, and explosives, I’m not getting a warm fuzzy over this.”

  Jeff: “I’m open to suggestions.” Jeff and Tim headed off to the kitchen.

  ~

  Less than five minutes later, Alan had cut an opening large enough to enter the space between the evac chamber and the sample box. He began cutting on the inner wall. Carol let Jeff know on the intercom. Almost immediately there was a bright flash and explosion. Mike thought that Jeff and Tim had blown themselves up, but the explosion had come from the lab. He ran there and found Carol on the floor. Carol was stunned and trying to get up; Mike helped her to her feet.

  Mike: “What the hell happened?”

  Carol: “I’m not sure. There was a bright flash and an explosion from the lab.”