The laboratory is spotless as usual. The hum of computers and the slight smell of electronics fill the air. I look out a wall of glass that frames a host of saguaro cacti and the sands of the desert. The sky is blue. No, not just blue...it's a perfect blue the consistency is absolute. There is no variation of color anywhere from the horizon to way up high. Knowing this is caused by an almost complete lack of moisture and the even dispersion of various solar radiation wavelengths does not make it any less impressive.

"We have those latest figures from our solar array. You may want to take a look at this."

I walk over and sit down at the long white desk, adjust the 30" white monitor and look at rows of black numbers in a very small font on a taupe background.

"What is it I should be looking for?"

"The sun is putting out a new spectra."

"What?"

"That was my reaction too. In the last week our solar array detected a type of radiation coming from the sun which it had not before encountered. It is erratic, does not coincide with flares or any noted big solar emf activity."

"Is this is here?"

"Yeah, that's it."

I look at the line and the frequency of occurence. 37 minutes then nothing for a day. Then a few hours, a few hours break and then a whole day.

"What do you make of it?"

I look up and answer forthright. "If this is accurate, the Earth is in big trouble."

"Damn it, I knew you were going to say that. Why did you have to say that!"

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No one except you. The readings were just processed last night."

"Under classification authority granted me in this facility this document and the data it contains is now top secret eyes only. I want the computer cleaned of all traces and the file transferred to the secured system. Use your Fortezza DSA in ten minutes to upload it. I will update your cards clearance from my computer."

"Sir, is this the end of the world?"

"No, it's the end of humanity. The world will continue on for sometime to come."

"How long do we have?"

"100 years. Give or take a few decades."

"Sir, a thought. You think someone else spotted this before we did? That maybe all this global warming hype is actually a way to precondition folks for drastic changes?"

"It's possible, but only one European laboratory has an array up sensitive enough to have detected it."

"You mean the M--- Institute?"

"Yes."

"Could..."

"Yes, you may be right. Scaring the folks silly with the truth would cause mass panic. The global warming bit may indeed be a stroke of genius."

"Sir, I don't know if I can keep this secret from my wife. In fact, I'm almost sure I can't."

"Tell her tonight. The classification will go into effect after midnight."

"Thanks. How bad will it get in our lives?"

"It's going to retard and interfere with intellectual development by striking our synaptic centers, sterilize the population after causing decades of innumerable birth defects and then it will slowly peel our atmosphere from the Earth. It will be quite horrible."

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Enjoy your life. Kiss your wife. Hope that humanity may still survive out in space."

"What about shields? Can't we shield the Earth or parts of the Earth?"

"We might be able to build huge subterranean caverns and pump our atmosphere down there. But people can't be bothered to even build small civil defense fallout centers...what hope do they have of being convinced to move their cities underground permanently?"

"Survival will motivate them."

"Maybe. Too many folks will eagerly embrace the doom and sabotage the efforts of others, just like they did the fallout shelters."

"We have to make them. They have to know."

"After tonight, mums the word. Global panic would end civilization far faster than even this radiation will."

"Yeah, I know you're right. The moonbats would come out in force, the markets would crash, nothing would be done except a lot of people going to bed scared each night and waking with a sense of doom."

"Exactly. I'm going to be on the horn with DC in my office. You can have the rest of the day off after you transfer the data from the computer."

"To be or..."

"Don't say it."

"Why not?"

"I never liked Shakespeare."