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Chapter 40 - The Carrington Event

Six hours until Carrington Event: Lasalle Lake Road, Lasalle Lake Nuclear Power Plant

While animals scampered away, the Ghost was driven to Lasalle Lake Power Plant. Inside, Japanese, Germans, Texans and Ottawans worked to get the plant ready to take the wide blast of things from X-rays to Gamma Rays. As he went inside, the scientists, engineers and workers all paused. 

"Listen up! Dr. Sue was kind enough to allow me to use this prototype armor. It is known as the L.L.G.D.A prototype, or The Lasalle Lake Guardian Destroid Armor. It has no electronics within it, but is lead-lined for radiation protection, airtight, and has strengthened hydraulics to allow me to move. The task now is to connect my shoulder pillars directly within the core. Am I clear?"

With a nod, people set to work. The first task was for the engineers to get the L.L.G.A into the core and confirm Greater Ottawa was ready for shutdown. Once the signal was received and had dropped the control rods down into their sealed chamber, they lowered him into the core. There was hardly any light in the core, nothing but a miniscule, dull-blue glowing ring amidst the water inside. With phase one done, everyone braced for the worst. 

Three Hours until Carrington Event: The Worldwide View

 Of the nations within the New World Order, none of them had shown any concern. As it would become known later that Rothschild, prior to his fight with the Ghost, ordered the monitoring stations shut down and to have those workers be sent into the factories to churn out war machines. Now, Rothschild was in surgery to have his arm repaired. However, flickering and surging power was making it extremely difficult. 

 One Hour until Carrington Event: The American Allies

Thanks to Dr. Sue's warning, the allies had sprung into action, all burying their technology, then sealing themselves in fortified, lead-lined basements, bunkers, whatever they could find. As Keith watched from his Statehouse, the moment finally arrived. 

The Carrington Event Hits: 

The various factions witnessed the power of Earth's magnetosphere begin to collapse. The New World Order, who'd been oblivious, was ablaze as powerlines, substations and more erupted into flames. Ordinary citizens are thrown back into the dark ages of mankind. As the solar-mass ejection made its way into North America, the outdated American Power Grid erupted into flames. The Texans, and various other allies watched as their electrical infrastructure burst and sparked, but no fires came about. In Greater Ottawa, the citizens had hunkered down in the Handy Foods Grocery Store when their sky became an orange wave of electronic death. No sparks or explosions came from their city, as Madie Sue had the various power-transfer devices in the Cave's Research and Construction Station. As the wave slammed Lasalle Lake Nuclear Power Plant, the massive energy spike was routed directly into the massive shoulder pillars on the L.L.G.A. The water around the Ghost bubbled and churned as he alone acted as the last line of defense. Within the coolant water of the reactor, the Ghost closed his eyes as the energy spiked drastically. 

"I.. will keep pushing forwards.." His thoughts wandered, mind racing faster and faster. He opened his eyes and found himself not to be alone. His mind could've sworn that the two he'd lost were standing before him, hands on the clear container, cheering him on. The Ghost gritted his teeth as the armor began heating up.

"THIS TOO SHALL PASS AND I WILL REMAIN UNBROKEN IN MY RESOLVE!!" As the bubbling water clouded his vision all as the world fell quietly back into darkness.