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  That led to several trips by Harrington to New Zealand, because he knew that was his best bet to spot this monster if it really existed.

  Because of what he observed with Uranus and Neptune being pulled down, he calculated that the Southern Hemisphere was the logical place to be to have any hope of a sighting. He was also pretty sure of its location in the celestial world, so he went down to New Zealand in the spring, knowing that it could only be seen around that time of the year.

  Even then, it would be tough, because it was a very dark object. In his determination, he thought the thing could possibly be a Brown Dwarf—a failed star that had never really reached its potential.

  But, it could also actually be the tenth planet in our solar system. It just never came around to visit all that often. Its calculated orbit was a mindboggling 3,600 years, and quite possibly could have made its last visit around the time of Noah’s flood.

  In fact, if it did, the flood was more due to the power of Gargantuan than the hand of God.

  Gargantuan had been absent for an awful long time, but it was coming around once again on its long elliptical orbit.

  It had been known by other names over the years.

  NASA’s affectionate name for it had always been ‘Planet X’—not too creative, but it did the trick.

  Conspiracy theorists loved to call it ‘Nibiru.’

  But, Majestic 12 called it ‘Gargantuan.’

  Doctor Robert Harrington made those trips to New Zealand with nothing more elaborate than an eight-inch telescope and a camera.

  His last trip was in 1992, when he reportedly provided NASA with the successful results of his investigation. Friends and family reported that Harrington was ecstatic about what he’d discovered—excited that his calculations and determination had paid off.

  He died shortly thereafter of apparent esophageal cancer.

  His memory was honored by having an asteroid named after him: 3216 Harrington.

  The results of his last trip to New Zealand were never made public.

  When Gargantuan comes, it will pass Earth twice—on the way in, and again on the way out. After it swings away to go out past the Sun once again, it won’t be seen for another 3,600 years.

  The closest it will ever come to Planet Earth will be fourteen million miles. Most people would shake their heads at hearing that distance and wonder what all the fuss was about.

  What most wouldn’t think about is the magnetic pull that every single object in the solar system has on all the others.

  A delicate balance exists that keeps everything in its proper place. Just the mere fact that an object so far away could have had an effect on the orbits of Uranus and Neptune, showed the power of magnetics and gravity.

  And, that wobble effect wasn’t just noticed for the first time in the 1990s—there were written observations from early astronomers way back in the mid-1800s about how the orbits of those two planets were out of whack, wobbling.

  Astronomers also acknowledged that any object coming up from the southern hemisphere would probably just sneak up on Earth. Coming up from a desolate area made it almost impossible for a professional astronomer to see it, let alone an amateur.

  Even comets coming from that direction would probably only be seen with enough time to give a measly couple of weeks’ notice of impact.

  Gargantuan wasn’t a comet and it wasn’t going to hit the Earth—there was no danger of that. But, fourteen million miles was just a hair-breadth away in astronomical terms. Nothing as big as Jupiter would be able to swing past us at that distance without causing absolute havoc.

  And, the havoc had already started a long time ago.

  Each year that Gargantuan had drawn closer to the Earth on its 3,600 mile round trip had brought changes to the climate. A little bit here, a little bit there—but slow and sure.

  And, accelerating in the last two decades as its massive size exerted more influence.

  All of the changes in the climate had been blamed on humanity’s excess. The ultimate distraction, and an opportunity to raise tax revenue to build underground bunkers for the elite.

  Manmade greenhouse gases, in reality, have had a miniscule effect on the climate, although the general public had been convinced otherwise.

  Everyone knew intuitively that something was happening. Something was wrong. But, they’d been convinced all along that they were the cause.

  The planet was simply being ripped apart at its seams.

  The Earth’s core was now hotter than the surface of the Sun, and that change had only occurred within the last twenty years.

  Massive crevices had formed in Mexico and the mid-western United States. Sinkholes were popping up everywhere, yet no one seemed to notice that this was unusual. No one had clued in that phenomena like that couldn’t possibly be caused by greenhouse gases.

  The polar ice caps were melting at record rates, and summers were getting hotter to the point that some sections of the planet would eventually become uninhabitable. Where would the people go?

  Winter storms were establishing new records every year.

  Fish, dolphins, and whales were dying in record numbers as the ocean temperatures and currents were deviating far from the norm.

  Dozens of volcanos were erupting at the same time now, all across the globe. Earthquakes were much more frequent and the warnings about mega-quakes and tsunamis were dominating the airwaves.

  In 2008, NASA announced that the THEMIS spacecraft had discovered a breach in the Earth’s magnetic field ten times larger than anything previously thought. The opening was huge—four times bigger than the width of the Earth itself. That breach was allowing twenty times the normal amount of solar particles to enter Earth’s atmosphere.

  The only thing protecting Earth’s inhabitants from the dangerous radiation of the Sun was the magnetosphere, which was now seriously depleted.

  Radiation—the silent killer.

  This danger had not been announced to the people—the only innovations that had happened over the years were more aggressive attempts to convince people to use higher-numbered sunscreens. And, despite those sunscreens, there were reports from across the globe of people suffering from unusual sun blisters that would eventually turn into skin cancer. This was despite the extensive use of sunscreens.

  Folks had no doubt noticed the specially-equipped planes that crisscrossed the skies on most clear days, spewing out chemicals that mysteriously expanded into cloud formations within mere minutes. No government would admit that they were creating an artificial barrier to block out the most dangerous rays of the Sun. But, those rays still got through, despite that clandestine effort.

  Neither would governments admit that chemtrails had a dual purpose—one for protection from the Sun, and the other to hide what else was up there.

  The estimated time of arrival of Gargantuan was somewhere between 2015 and 2020. No one knew for sure when it would make its closest approach.

  But, Earth was now seeing four times the number of natural disasters each year than had occurred two decades ago. And this figure would get larger—much larger.

  The magnetic pressure from Gargantuan could cause a pole flip—Africa might become the new North Pole, with the Arctic sitting at the Equator. The entire appearance of Earth could change, with the likelihood of only ten percent of its inhabitants surviving.

  Astronomy being an inexact science, it might be better, or it might be worse. No one knew for sure.

  One thing was for certain, though, Gargantuan was incoming.

  It had already been seen by the little Pluto probe. And, it had been seen before by both the Hubble and space-borne telescopes.

  Even Doctor Robert Harrington was unaware that it had already been viewed prior to his big discovery.

  He’d stumbled upon something that others had known about for quite some time. No one foresaw that he would find it, nor expect that he’d want to tell the world about it. But, the man was persistent—a serious, dedicated astronomer, wh
o cared about what he did for a living. Right up until the day he died.

  He did, however, have the honor of having an asteroid named after him. An honor that very few got to enjoy, even posthumously.

  Recent images, however, showed something that no one could have predicted.

  It was certainly shocking enough that an unknown planet was invading our solar system.

  But, worse than that, Gargantuan also had its own atmosphere.

  Artificially created from within.

  It had mountains and canyons—just like Earth.

  It was so gigantic that over 1,000 Earths could fit within its spherical mass.

  And…it had life.

  * * * * *

  John awoke with a start and, for a brief moment, forgot where he was.

  He wiped a sleeve across his sweaty forehead and cursed his decision to take a nap.

  As he gradually regained his alertness, he heard a gentle snoring sound coming from one of the bedrooms.

  The senator was surprised—he hadn’t known that women snored.

  Chapter 39

  Wyatt glanced at his watch as he pulled into the visitor parking lot of the Castlegar Airport.

  Just in time, he hoped.

  Knowing Allison Fisher for even the short time he had, she seemed to be the type of person who made sure she was either bang on schedule or well ahead of it. That was a quality he really admired in her, although one that was hard to measure up to.

  Since leaving his RCMP post in Toronto and moving out to the relaxed lifestyle in the west, he’d become a bit lazy about deadlines and schedules. That was more of a big city thing, and he was glad to have left it behind.

  While the airport was only half an hour from Nelson, he’d been delayed a bit leaving the house.

  Not his house. His parents’ house.

  He’d spent all morning with them, even though work was piling up on his desk back at the station, and there were plenty of nationwide cases that needed local alerts authorized. All of that would have to wait. The stress his mom and dad were going through right now was more important and far more worthy of his time.

  It was understandable that they’d be stressed—the changes that his dad had undergone in just the last few days were not only weird, but had thrown their lives upside down.

  He walked towards the terminal building and glanced upwards at the sound of an approaching plane. It was a sleek executive jet, and he guessed that it was probably Allison’s. Not too many jets as expensive as that one normally graced the tarmac at Castlegar.

  Wyatt was glad she was here. They had some serious things to talk about, all related to his dad. He’d sent her a text message yesterday—wasn’t sure where in the world she was, but was hoping she’d text him back fast.

  She did even better than that—replied that she was flying out of Penticton and would meet him in Castlegar.

  He had expected that they’d just be talking on the phone, but this was much better. Not just because the matter he wanted to talk to her about was so serious, but also because he was really looking forward to seeing her again.

  Yes, he knew full well he had kind of a schoolboy crush going on—the fluttering in his stomach was a dead giveaway.

  He stood inside the terminal and waited patiently, but unfortunately the butterflies weren’t being so patient.

  Wyatt watched a band of merry fishermen pick up their rods at the over-sized luggage carousel. He smiled as he saw four young men claiming their golf clubs at the same carousel—trash-talking each other as they started making their way down to the rental car counter.

  Then, she was just there. Standing right in front of him, hands braced confidently on her hips.

  While he’d been gazing around, daydreaming, trying hard to calm his stomach, Allison had playfully snuck up on him, as quiet as a mouse.

  “Well, aren’t you going to be a gentleman and carry my bag?”

  He couldn’t hide the silly smile that instantly spread across his face. “I would if it didn’t have wheels. But, you look perfectly capable of pulling it yourself.”

  She slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “Chivalry is surely dead in this section of Canada.”

  Wyatt grabbed the extended handle of her case and led the way towards the parking lot. He flashed her his most devilish grin.

  “Good to see you, Allison. And, for you, I’ll pretend to be a gentleman. Just this once, though—can’t take a chance on ruining my aloof reputation.”

  She slipped her arm inside his free one and walked along beside him.

  “You’re anything but aloof, Mr. Chief of Police. But, I do love the subtle hint of danger that lies just beneath your surface. Adds an air of mystery about you.”

  Wyatt stole a quick glance at her face as they walked. Those blue eyes of hers always took his breath away. Unusual for someone with such dark hair to have the bluest of blue eyes.

  “Is that your natural hair color?”

  Pretending to be insulted, she exclaimed, “What kind of question is that to ask a lady? Of course it’s my color. Is yours natural?”

  Wyatt laughed, and ran his fingers through his hair. “What’s left of it, yes. But, I was thinking of dyeing it ginger—whaddaya think?”

  “Don’t you dare! I was thinking of offering to cook dinner for you tonight, but I don’t know if I want to have dinner with someone who one day might have red hair.”

  “Dinner sounds great—so forget about the ginger idea. I’ll stroke that off my bucket list. But, you’ll definitely love the appliances at my house—all high end. They’ll be glad to get some use, because I usually just pick up food on the way home.”

  “Okay, it’s a date. So, what made you ask about my hair color?”

  “Your eyes are just so darn blue for someone with dark hair. I’ve never seen such blue eyes before, even on fair-haired people.”

  Allison giggled.

  “That’s a nice compliment. You’re forgiven. Yes, they are unusual eyes—I got them from my dad. Everyone always comments on them, and some say they’re even hypnotic. Spooky, huh?”

  They reached the police cruiser and Wyatt popped the trunk.

  “Do you want to sit in the back seat behind the ‘bad dude’ screen, or up front with me?”

  She squeezed his arm, and lowered her voice to a husky Lauren Bacall tone.

  “Well, I’ve always had this fantasy about being the prisoner of a handsome police officer.”

  While soaking up another long stare into her mesmerizing eyes, Wyatt noticed she was blushing.

  He wasn’t oblivious to the fact that she’d been flirting with him.

  He was enjoying it immensely. But, he knew that the conversation he was going to have with her in a few minutes would totally ruin her mood.

  “Funny, I’ve had the same fantasy my whole life.”

  She frowned. “Really? Being the prisoner of a handsome police officer?”

  “Yeah, but only if he looked as good as me!”

  They both laughed as they jumped into the car.

  Wyatt steered his way out of the airport parking lot and headed northeast along Highway #3A towards Nelson.

  Then, he took a couple of deep breaths and allowed the tone of his voice to change.

  “Willy has aged about ten years in just over a week, Allison. What the hell did your doctors do to my dad?”

  Chapter 40

  Willy was sitting hunched over the kitchen table; Helen beside him, rubbing his arm, trying hard to soothe him. It wasn’t working.

  “Allison’s here, Dad. Remember her?”

  Willy squinted, and then slipped on some specs.

  “I never had to wear these darn things before, but now I do. Picked them up at the pharmacy today. Might need prescription glasses, though.”

  He gazed up at her, and Allison was relieved to see the recognition suddenly appear in his eyes.

  “Yes, you’re the hotel lady. You’re building one here, and you wanted me to…I’m sorry, I can’t
remember exactly what you wanted me to do. But…look at me. I don’t think you’ll want me now.”

  Allison walked over to him and rubbed his back. Then, she leaned down and held out her hand. He shook it, and she was shocked at how much weaker his handshake felt than the last time she’d seen him just a few short weeks ago. He was robust then, and as vibrant as a man twenty years younger. Now, he just seemed…old.

  She looked up at Wyatt. The puzzled look on his face reflected how she felt.

  Allison could sense the tears welling up in her eyes. Willy had indeed aged at least ten years since he’d been down to the clinic in Atlanta. He didn’t look his full eighty-seven years yet, but he did look mid-seventies. And, at the pace he’d aged already, in another week he would indeed be eighty-seven.

  Helen whispered. “This has been happening ever since he got back from Atlanta. I can see the changes every single day. What have you people done to my husband?”

  Allison shook her head. “I have no idea, but I’m going to find out. I’m so sorry.”

  Wyatt sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and glared at her. He was looking at her now in a way Allison had never seen in the short time she’d known him. At this moment, he looked like…a police officer.

  “My dad has always seemed young for his age. That was presumably one of the things that appealed to you about him being a spokesperson for your new hotel here. He agreed to a medical check-up at your clinic, to qualify him.”

  Wyatt gestured his hand in Willy’s direction. “And, this is how he comes back? He’s aged virtually overnight. What did they do to cause this? They weren’t really supposed to do anything at all—just some blood tests, EKG, stress tests—things like that. It was supposed to have been just a goddamned physical.”

  Allison lowered her eyes to the floor, and then just as quickly raised them again. In an instant, she knew what she had to do. Decisiveness had never been a problem for her, and that skill roared to the surface now in front of these three wonderful, innocent people.

  “Can I borrow Willy’s car?”