Powerless by Tim Washburn Read Free Book Online Page A

“Shut everything down.”
    â€œBut, sir, that will leave most of Oslo without power,” Baldor says.
    â€œShut the damn thing down, or Oslo will be without power for the next year.”
    Lise and Baldor begin the process of shutting down the massive generators, but the three main generators stop suddenly of their own accord. The control room goes dark until the battery-powered emergency lighting flashes on. All of the computer screens flicker and go black as the alarms stop. The three of them stare at the dark monitors.
    â€œWhat the hell happened?” Dahlmen says.
    â€œWe don’t know. The instruments recorded several power spikes before the alarms started going berserk,” Lise says.
    Alrek, notorious for his disdain for women in the workplace, dismisses her comment and turns to Baldor. “Explain, please.”
    â€œI can’t, sir. It’s like Lise said. Everything was fine until it wasn’t.”
    Dahlmen plants a fisted hand on his hip. “How severe were the power spikes?”
    â€œOn the edge of acceptable limits, but nothing we haven’t seen before, sir.”
    Dahlmen turns to leave. “I want a full report, and I want it now,” he shouts over his shoulder as he exits the control room.
    Lise and Baldor stare at each other in the dimness of the dead control room.
    â€œWhat the hell are we supposed to put in the report he demands?” Baldor says.
    Lise sighs. “Better yet, how the hell are we going to produce a report? Every computer in the building is dead.” Lise turns to Baldor. “How long do you think we’ll be without power?”

C HAPTER 14
    The Marshall home
    Â 
    Z eke slams the phone down and starts fumbling through the medicine cabinet above the stove. His hand lights on a bottle of aspirin and he yanks it from the cabinet as several other medications rain to the floor. He grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator and hurries out the door, Lexi running alongside. The beauty of the day goes unnoticed this time as he runs down the path and kneels next to his mother.
    â€œHas he said anything?” Zeke works to pry the cap off the aspirin bottle.
    â€œHe moaned a couple of times, but I don’t think he’s awake. What’s wrong with him, Zeke?”
    â€œI don’t know. Has he had any health problems lately?” He finally gets the lid free and dumps three aspirin into his sweaty palm.
    â€œNo, but you know how your father is. I’m not sure he’d tell me if he was having any symptoms. He’s so dadgum stubborn sometimes.”
    â€œMom, open his mouth so I can slip some aspirin in.”
    She lifts her husband’s head and pries his mouth open. Zeke slides the three aspirin inside. He gently places the water bottle to his father’s mouth and dribbles enough water in to begin dissolving the pills.
    â€œWhy the aspirin, son?”
    Zeke fiddles with the cap to the water bottle. Then he covers his mother’s hand with his own and turns to face her. “Aspirin will help to thin his blood if he’s had a stroke or a heart attack.”
    His mother moans and looks away. Zeke checks his father’s pulse again, and it might be wishful thinking, but his pulse seems stronger. He wipes the sweat from his father’s brow. In the distance, the sound of an approaching siren.
    â€œMom, stay with him. I’m gonna meet the ambulance.” She glances up as he stands. “It’s going to be okay, Mom.”
    Now if he only had the same reassurance for himself. The siren sounds closer as he reaches the middle of the gravel driveway. Hurry, goddammit!
    The sun beats down as Zeke strains, searching for the ambulance. He is not a religious man, not after everything that he had witnessed, but he looks up at the cobalt blue sky and offers a brief, silent something to whomever or whatever might be listening. Then he sees the ambulance, a little more than a quarter mile away, and