Supernova

AN EXPONENTIAL EXPANSION EVENT

CAN BE EXPECTED IN SHORT ORDER.

IN OTHER WORDS, A SUPERNOVA.

THE SUN IS NEARING CRITICAL MASS.

SURFACE SOLAR ACTIVITY

WILL GROW IN VIOLENCE AND FREQUENCY

FOLLOWED BY EXPULSION CYCLES,

WHICH CAN BE EXPECTED

TO INCLUDE EARTH

IN THEIR TELEMETRY.

SUDDEN FLARES AND NEUTRINOS

TRIGGERED BY THE COMPRESSION WAVE

HITTING THE SOLAR CORE.

INCREASED MAGNETIC CONNECTION…

S.I.D….

SUDDEN IONOSPHERIC DISTURBANCE.

MORNING, DR. SHEPARD.

I WAS JUST WONDERING

IF YOU GOT THOSE GRAVITATIONAL FIELD DISTURBANCE REPORTS.

YOU KNOW, THE ONES YOU ASKED DR. RICHARDSON FOR?

UNFORTUNATELY, I DID.

EXCUSE ME?

THEY WERE FINE, GINNY. JUST…

I CROSS-CHECKED THE ANALYSIS AGAINST OUR DATA FROM MOSCOW.

EVERYTHING SEEMED IN ORDER,

BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO COME OVER THERE.

I'LL CALL YOU BACK.

OK.

GINNY…

THANKS FOR THE HELP

THESE PAST FEW MONTHS.

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF.

SURF'S UP.

THAT'S HIM.

WE JUST PICKED HIM UP.

HE'S ON THE MOVE.

LET'S GO.

WELL, I CAN'T SEE THESE MAGNETIC STORMS,

BUT I'LL TELL YA,

YOU CAN FEEL IT,

'CAUSE IT'S PLENTY HOT OUT THERE.

AND, UH, LET'S TURN TO

OUR VERY OWN DR. SHEILA.

SHE'S GOING TO BE ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS…

THAT'S 50,000 IN U.S. DOLLARS,

ANOTHER 25 IN EUROS, AND…

5,000 IN GOLD COINS.

ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU WANT TO EXCHANGE THIS MUCH CURRENCY,

DR. SHEPARD?

BETTER CALL THIS IN.

GOTTA GO.

WE'RE HERE AT MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN NEAR DOWNTOWN

WHERE THE MAYOR LAUNCHED HIS REELECTION CAMPAIGN ONLY LAST WEEK.

BUT EVENTS HERE TODAY HAVE GIVEN NEW MEANING TO THE TERM "LAME DUCK."

APPARENTLY THESE DUCKS TOOK A WRONG TURN

ON THEIR WAY NORTH TO THE MEDITERRANEAN,

ENDING UP HERE FOR THIS UNPRECEDENTED VISIT.

ORNITHOLOGISTS BELIEVE

THE DUCKS MIGRATE USING ELECTROMAGNETIC PATTERNS IN THE ATMOSPHERE,

BUT THOSE PATTERNS HAVE APPARENTLY BEEN DISRUPTED.

IN FACT, ERRATIC MIGRATING BEHAVIOR

HAS BEEN REPORTED ALL OVER THE CONTINENT.

SUNSPOTS.

CLEAR.

ALL RIGHT, THAT'LL BE THE LEAD-IN.

THEN WE'LL DO SOME B-ROLL,

AND THEN I'LL DO THE WRAP-UP.

HEY! LAY OFF THE FERRAGAMOS.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE

SOME EASY MONEY?

SPEAKER'S CORNER COFFEE SHOP.

CHECK THIS.

DR. SHEPARD?

YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE.

FLIGHTS 12, 48, AND 16

HAVE BEEN DELAYED.

PLEASE SEE A TICKETING AGENT

OR WATCH THE MONITORS FOR UPDATES. THANK YOU.

AUSTIN.

AUSTIN?

FLIGHTS 12, 48, AND 16

HAVE BEEN DELAYED.

PLEASE SEE A TICKETING AGENT

OR WATCH THE MONITORS FOR UPDATES.

OH.

CODE'S MY BIRTHDAY.

PRETTY COOL, HUH?

YEAH, PRETTY COOL.

I MISSED YOU SO MUCH.

MMM.

OH, GOD.

HEH.

I THOUGHT…

I'M SORRY. I FORGOT

THAT THEY WERE STARTING THE INSTALLATION THIS W…

IT'S LOUD.

THAT'S THE IDEA.

WE, UH, REALLY NEED TO HAVE THAT ON DURING THE DAY?

IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER,

ESPECIALLY IF I'M HERE ALONE.

WELL, JUST A FEW MORE DAYS.

JUST A FEW MORE DAYS.

HE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO HURT YOU AGAIN.

- DO YOU HAVE TO GO INTO THE OFFICE TODAY? YOU JUST GOT BACK.

WELL, I PROMISED HANDEY AN UPDATE ON THE MEETING

WHEN I GOT IN.

I WON'T BE LATE.

HALEY'S RECITAL'S TOMORROW NIGHT.

YEAH, I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN.

YOU'LL PICK US UP?

WELL, IF I GET HELD UP, I'M SURE TERESA COULD DO IT.

CHRIS.

I'M NOT GONNA MISS IT.

LIKE YOU DID THE LAST ONE?

HONEY, THE SOLAR PROBE GOES ONLINE

IN LESS THAN A MONTH.

THINGS HAVE BEEN JUST GOING CRAZY AT THE SHOP.

THINGS ARE ALWAYS CRAZY AT THE SHOP,

AND IT'S ALWAYS YOU WHO HAS TO CALM THINGS DOWN.

IT'S MY JOB.

IT'S WHAT I DO.

I'LL GET IT.

AUSTIN SHEPARD GETS TO SPEND ALL HIS TIME

STARING AT THE SKY

WHILE THEY SEND YOU,

A BRILLIANT ASTROPHYSICIST,

ALL OVER GOD'S CREATION

PUTTING OUT FIRES.

LOOK, AUSTIN SHEPARD'S A GENIUS.

I'M JUST LUCKY TO BE CARRYING HIS WATER.

THEY DON'T DESERVE YOU, CHRIS.

WE COULD BE HAPPY

BACK IN THE STATES.

YOU COULD TEACH…

DO RESEARCH…

JUST LIKE YOU ALWAYS WANTED.

THIS, UH…

THIS ISN'T ABOUT AUSTIN SHEPARD

OR THE SOLAR PROBE

OR ME BEING UNDER-APPRECIATED.

IS IT?

ALL I WANT IS TO FEEL SAFE.

I JUST WANT US ALL TO FEEL SAFE.

I WILL NEVER LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU…

OR HALEY.

NEVER.

OK?

I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

WHEN WE SPOKE ON THE PHONE,

YOU SAID THERE WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.

WE HAD AN APPOINTMENT FOR 2:00.

I KNOW. I REMEMBER, AND I'M REALLY SORRY,

BUT HE'S JUST NOT ANSWERING HIS PHONE.

WE MADE THIS APPOINTMENT OVER A WEEK AGO.

IF I DON'T GET THIS INTO EDITING BEFORE THE WEEKEND,

WE WON'T MAKE AIR.

UH, WOULD YOU JUST

EXCUSE ME FOR A MOMENT?

HI. WELCOME BACK.

YOU HAVEN'T SEEN DR. SHEPARD ANYWHERE, HAVE YOU?

IT'S JUST I'VE GOT THE BRITISH EQUIVALENT OF BARBARA WALTERS

HUFFING AND PUFFING RIGHT THERE,

AND SHE'S REALLY STARTING TO PISS ME OFF.

DR. RICHARDSON?

LAURIE STEPHENSON.

CHANNEL 7?

I COVERED YOUR SOLAR PROBE NEWS CONFERENCE LAST MONTH.

- HOW ARE YOU? - UH, JET LAGGED.

WE'RE DOING A FEATURE

ON THE RECENT SUNSPOT ACTIVITY.

UH, DR. SHEPARD PROMISED 00,

AND IT'S NOW ALMOST 00.

WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE CAN

TO HELP YOU FIND HIM.

EXCUSE ME.

LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE MISPLACED

A NOBEL PRIZE WINNER.

UM, SO WHAT DO I TELL

WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN DOWNSTAIRS?

JUST TELL THEM TO COOL THEIR HEELS FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

MAYBE THEY'LL GET BORED, GO HOME.

OK.

CHRISTOPHER…

GINNY SENT THE CALCULATIONS

OF THE GRAVITATIONAL FIELD DISTURBANCES

ASSOCIATED WITH ASTEROID 460.

YOUR WORK IS FLAWLESS.

I WISH IT…WASN'T.

WE'VE ALL SPENT SO MUCH OF OUR LIVES

PONDERING THE MYSTERIES OF THE COSMOS,

BUT NONE OF US COULD SAY WHAT WE WOULD DO

IF WE ONLY HAD ONE WEEK LEFT TO LIVE.

BON VOYAGE.

CHRIS, I NEED TO SEE YOU.

MY OFFICE, RIGHT NOW.

GOOD NEWS, CHRIS.

I'M ASSIGNING YOU TO THE SOLAR PHYSICS CONFERENCE.

YOU'LL BE REPRESENTING US

AS LEAD SCIENTIST ON THE SOLAR PROBE.

UH, AUSTIN SHEPARD IS LEAD SCIENTIST