The Next Cataclysm.docx

TheNextCataclysmWitharumblesolowastobeinaudible,growing,throbbing,thenfumingintoathunderingroat,theearthquakesstarts.onlyit,snotlikeanyearthquakeinrecordedhistory.InCaliforniathemountainsshakelikefernsinabreeze;themightypacificrearsbackandpilesupintoamountainofseawatermorethantwomileshigh.thenstartsitsraceeastword.Withtheforceofathousandarmiesthewindattacks,ripping,shreddingeverythinginitssupersonicbombardment.Theunbelievablemountainofpacificseawaterfollowsthewindeastword,buryingLosAngelesandSanFranciscoasiftheywerebutgrainsofsand.Nothing-butnothing-stopstherelentless,overwhelmingonslaughtofwindandocean.Acrossthecontinentthethousandnile-er-hourwindwreaksitshell,itsunholyvengeance,everywhere,mercilessly,unceasingly.Everylivingthingisrippedintoshredswhilebeingblownacrossthecountryside;andearthquakesleavenoplaceuntouched.Inmanyplacetheearth,smoltensublayerbreaksthroughandspeadsaseaofwhite-hotliquidfiretoaddtotheholocaust.Withinthreehoursthefantasticwallofseawatermovesacrossthecontinent,buryingtheWindravagedlandundertwomilesofseethingwatercaost-to-coast.Inafractionofadayallvestigesofcivilizationaregone,andthegraetcities-LosAngeles,SanFrancisco,Chicago,Dallas,NewYork,Boston-arenothingbutlegends,barelyastoneisleftwheremillionswalkedjustafewhoursbefore.Afewluckyoneswhomanagetofindshelterfromthescreamingwindontheleesideofahighmountainpeak-suchasMt.Massive-watertheseaofmoltenfirebreakingthroughthequakingvalleysbelow.Theragingwatersfollowatsupersonicspeeds,pilinghigherandhigher,steamingoverthemoltenearth-fire,andrisingalmosttotheirfeet.Onlygreat,highmountainssuchasthisonecanwithstandthecataclysmiconslaught.NorthAmericaisnotaloneinherdeaththroes.CentralAmericasuffersthesamecannonade-wind,earth-fire,andinundation.SouthAmericafindstheAndesnothighenoughtostopthecataclysmicviolencepoundedoutbynatureinherberserkrage.Inlessthanaday,Ecauador,Peru,andwesternBrazilareshakenmadlybtthedevastatingearthquake;theAndesarepiledhigherandhigherbythePacific'ssupersoniconslauhtasitsurgesoveritselfafainstthemountains.Theentirecontinentisburnedbymoltenearth-fire,buriedundercubicmilesofcatastrophicallyviolentseas,thenturnedintoafrozenhell.Everythingfreezes.Man,beast,plant,andmudareallrock-hardinlessthanfourhours.Europecannotescapetheonslaught.TheragingAtlanticpileshigherandhigheronitself,followingthescreechingwindeastward.TheAlps,Pyrenees,Urals,andAcandinavianmountainsareshakeen,thenheavedenenhigherwhenthewallofseawaterstrikes.WrastemAfricaandthesandsoftheSaharavanishinnature,swrath,undersavageattackbywindandocean.TheareaboundedbyZaire,SouthAfrica,andKenyasuffersonlyseverearthquakesandwinds-littleinundation.SurvivorstheremarvelattheSun,standingstillintheskyfornearlyhalfaday.EasternSiberiaandtheOrientsufferastrangefateindeed-asthoughagiantsubterraneanscythesweepsawaytheearth,sfoundations,accompaniedbythewindinitsscreamingsymphonyofsupersonicdeathanddestruction.AstheArcticbasinleavesitspolarhome,easternSiberia,Manchuria,ChinaandBurmaaresubjectedtothesameannihilationasSouthAmerica:wind,earth-fire,inundation,andfreezing.Jungleanimasareshreddedtoribbonsbythewind,piledintomountainsoffleshandbone,andburiedunderavalanchesofhomogenizedseawaterandmud.Thencomesthesudden,seeminglyinfinitesupplyofterrible,instantlyparalyzingtemperaturedropof180degreesEnotman,beast,plant,muck,earth,norwaterisleftunfrozenintheentireeasternAsiancontinenr,mostofwhichremainsbelowsealevel.AntarcticaandGreenland,withtheiricecaps,nowrotatearoundtheearthintheTorridZone;andthefuryofwindandinundationmarchesonforsixdays.Duringthesixthdaytheoceansstarttosettleintheirnewhomes,runningoffthehighgrounds.Onthesevethdaythehorrendousrampageisover.TheArcticIceAgeisended-andanewstoneagebegins.Theoceans-thegreathomogenizers-havelaiddownanotherdeeplayerofmudovertheexistingStrarainthegraetplains,asexposedintheGrandCanyon,PaintedDesert,MonumentValley,andtheBadlands.TheBayofBengalbasin,justeastofIndia,isnowattheNorthPole.ThePacificOcean,justwestofPeru,iaattheSouthPole.GreenlandandAntarctica,nowrotatingequatorially,findtheiricecapsdissolvingmadlyinthetropicalheat.Massivewallsofwaterandicesurgetowardtheoceans,takingeverything-frommountainstoplains-ingushing,heavungpaths,whilecreatingimmenseseasonalmoraines.Inlessthantwenty-fiveyearstheicecapsaregone,andtheoceansaroundtheworldriseovertwohundredfeetwiththenew-foundwater.TheTorridZonewillbeshroudedinafogforfenerationsfromtheenormousamountsofmoisturepouredintotheatmospherebtthemeltingicecaps.Newicecapsbegintoforminthenewpolarareas.GreenlandandAntarcticaemergewithverdant,tropicalfoliage.Australiaisthenew,unexploredcontinentintheNorthTemperateZone,withonlyafewhandfulsofsurvivorspopulatingitsvastness.NewYorkliesatthebottomoftheAtlantic,shattered,meltedbyearth-fire,andcoveredbyunbelievableamountsofmud.OfSanFrancisco,LosAngles,Chicago,DallasandBoston,notatraceisleft.TheyallwilljointhelegendsofthesevencitiesofCibola.What,sleftofEgyptemergesfromitsMediter-raneaninundationgnewandhigher-stillthelandoftheages.Thecommonpla