Storm

A bell clang in the mind of Colonel Clapperton. In no time he put up a political smile and went forward to the alternative scientist, “Who doesn’t? Your method is so impressive! Em… What brings you here?”

Professor Y took one step backward in order to keep a (psychologically) safe distance from the naval officer. He was surprised to find someone greeting him so eagerly. “Sir, a storm is coming.”

“Is it?” Clapperton sneered. To be honest, he found it an anticlimax to hear such a warning. It was the season of storm and Plymouth sees five or six typhoons each year; he would be much more amazed if the alternative scientist told him that there would not be any storm in the coming twelve months.

“I know what you are thinking,” Y went on, “But the storm is different this time. Have you heard of El Nino and the south Pacific current? Well, to put it simply, when the conditions are all fit and our luck is really tough, the storm could kill millions of people this time.”

The naval officer wished to say all storms could do that in theory. If everyone in England go swimming during the storm, a mortality in million would be an underestimate.

However, Clapperton did not say such kind of thing. His mind was considering another problem, “Professor, what do you want? Is there anything you could do to help us?”