“I'm saying that a man-made magnetic polar shift, with its intense, short-term nature, may precipitate irreversible geologic movement, especially now with a natural shift shaping up. All it needs is a nudge. An addition or discharge of electromagnetic energy that changes the field could stir up changes in matter. Cyclonic disruptions of the earth's core or magnetic field may have been responsible for the freak waves and the whirlpool. It wouldn't be the slow shifting of tectonic plates. The structure of the entire planet could change in an instant.”

“With what results?” Gamay said.

“Catastrophic. If the crust slips around the molten core, inertial forces would come into play. The shift would create tsunamis that could sweep across continents, and winds more powerful than any hurricane. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions with massive lava flows would develop. There would be drastic climate changes and radiation storms.” He paused. “Species extinction is a definite possibility.”

“There's been an increase in violent natural phenomena over the past few decades,” Gamay said. “I wonder if those are warning signs.”

“Maybe,” Hibbet said.

“Before we scare ourselves silly, let's get back to the facts,” Trout suggested. “I've taken the polar shift simulations from Caltech and Los Alamos as a base. I fed in the report Dr. Adler compiled on the ocean disturbances and the material Al submitted on the use of electromagnetic low-frequency transmissions. We've also simulated conditions of the molten currents in the core of the earth where the magnetic fields are formed. The Kovacs papers are the final part of the equation. If we're all ready ...” He tapped the keyboard.

The globe disappeared and a message appeared on the screen:

HELLO, PAUL. HOW'S THE BEST-DRESSED MALE ON THE SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS TEAM?

Max had picked up on his password. Trout squirmed in his chair, and yearned for the time when computers were simply dumb machines. He typed in:

HELLO, MAX. WE'RE READY FOR THE COMPUTER SIMULATION.

IS THIS AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE, PAUL?

NO.

Max paused for several seconds. It was an unusual response from the high-speed computer.

THIS EVENT CAN'T BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN.

Trout stared at the words. Was it his imagination, or did Max seem alarmed? He typed a question:

WHY NOT?

IT WILL RESULT IN THE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE EARTH.

Trout's Adam's apple bobbed. He typed one word:

HOW?

WATCH.

The globe reappeared on the screen, and the gold patches on the oceans began to move. The red patch in the South Atlantic linked up with other patches of the same color until the entire ocean area below South America and South Africa blazed in red. Then the continents began to change their positions. North and South America did a 180-degree shift, so that they were lying on their sides. The points that had once marked the equator became the north and south poles. Violent surface phenomena spread over the globe like a virulent disease.

Trout typed another question, and held his breath:

IS THERE A WAY TO NEUTRALIZE THIS?