Earth's Zero Hour - January 1, 2050, 8:00 AM!
Long ago, scientists predicted that the Earth's "polar shift" (periodic reversal of the Earth's magnetic poles) could occur at any moment.
Throughout the Earth's 4.5 billion-year history, especially in the past 70 million years, it has actually happened over 170 times, averaging less than once every 400,000 years! The most recent polar shift was approximately 780,000 years ago, far exceeding the average cycle.
Ordinary people may not perceive much, but governments around the world were plunged into anxiety, especially after detecting an abrupt 80% decrease in the Earth's magnetic field strength in 2012.
Because during a polar shift, which could last from a few years to several decades, the Earth's magnetic field would become extremely unstable or even disappear.
For global life forms, this is fatal—without the protection of the Earth's magnetic field, cosmic rays would reach the Earth's surface unimpeded, causing unpredictable mutations in the genes of various organisms. Mutations, essentially, signify mass extinction… Although they could potentially lead to evolution as well.
For human civilization at that time, it would bring a devastating blow—the instability of the Earth's magnetic field and cosmic high-energy rays would destroy all electronic devices, ranging from smartwatches, mobile phones, and televisions to cars, medical equipment, and power supply networks… People's lives are already inseparable from electronic products, so the impact of this destruction is imaginable, potentially stagnating or even destroying human civilization!
Countries prepared for various contingencies in advance, particularly constructing various "underground cities" several kilometers or even tens of kilometers deep, without the general population's knowledge!
The purpose was simple: to seek shelter from cosmic high-energy rays through thick layers of earth and reduce the impact of magnetic field instability.
In those years, various products of human civilization were frantically stored in underground cities, and even underground farms and ranches were established to ensure against potential famine after the disaster.
For decades, people lived in fear and anxiety, until the moment their anxiety turned to numbness. At 8:00 AM on January 1, 2050, the polar shift occurred! Unexpected intense magnetic field oscillations plunged the world into darkness—power outages caused all electronic devices on the surface to be scrapped!
And even more terrifying were the various natural phenomena that unexpectedly arrived!
Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, torrential rains…Rampaging across various regions globally, numerous unknown diseases are also indiscriminately devouring lives worldwide!!And even scientifically inexplicable phenomena emerged—the most terrifying of which were spontaneously appearing thunderbolts and fireballs!
Among them, the fireballs were the most feared—blue-white fireballs could suddenly appear on the surface without warning. Although their duration was extremely brief, they seemed to have a mind of their own, chasing humans relentlessly and leaving nothing but ashes wherever they went!
The violent disasters lasted for five years! Only in January 2055 did they gradually decrease, but they did not completely disappear!
In just five years, the once-thriving Earth was devastated, with the population dropping from 8.2 billion to 400 million, a decrease of over 95%!
Various species also faced astonishing mass extinction, with the number of species decreasing by over 85%! Second only to the Permian period!
(The Permian period began 299 million years ago and lasted for about 45 million years, during which almost 98% of marine life and 96% of terrestrial life disappeared.)
The violent disasters also destroyed almost all the underground cities that had been built with the combined efforts of all humanity, leaving only a fraction of the massive reserves intact! Nearly decades of technological development were also almost entirely destroyed!
The survival and development of humanity are facing unprecedented enormous challenges!!
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Shhhuuu!! Shhhuuu!! Boom boom boom!!!
The sharp roar tore through the air, rapidly approaching from behind the passenger plane, instantly pulling Qin Ling back from his memories to reality.