One hundred million!
Although everyone had a vague idea in mind, the number was still too frightening.
Someone commented in a somber voice. "This is absolutely the most serious accident with casualties since the beginning of No. 2 Spacetime, and most importantly, it could have been avoided!"
Zhang Tianyuan also sighed.
He still felt a pang of regret; a hundred million lives had been needlessly lost by Becker and his men.
If the timing of this particular timeline hadn't been so urgent, he and other timelines might have been able to save these people.
However, time was of the essence, and Becker and his team were unyielding, so they could only leave it to fate...
However, with such a high death toll, it's no wonder Becker and his teammates rode in the "Happy Team" car.
Only the dead are the best scapegoats.
After the sigh, everyone had to get back to the main topic.
Please also report on the situation outside North America.
"Okay, based on the information we have so far, the majority of deaths in disasters across various countries are among those who refused to enter shelters..."
The meeting secretary opened the form and projected it onto the screen, then began explaining the situation in other regions.
Compared to North America, other regions did not do as well. Every country reported its projected death toll, but the numbers were insignificant compared to 100 million.
The country with the highest number of deaths is projected to have "only" one million deaths, roughly one percent of North America.
Because of the excellent example set in North America, everyone at the meeting felt that their operation this time seemed to have been quite successful.
After estimating the death toll, Zhang Tianyuan and Elder Zhong also discussed the future development of North America.
One hundred million people died, and they all froze to death.
The scene over there is probably even more horrific than in the Legend Spacetime.
The disaster may end in a few days, but a greater catastrophe may have just begun. The deaths of Becker and his companions are far from enough to end this...
"Just wait, the real show is just beginning."
the next day.
The first thing Parker did upon waking was to look out the window of the International Space Station at Earth. He expected to see a pure white, seemingly...
When he saw the Earth covered in fluffy cream, his eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of blue.
Um?
Parker's heart skipped a beat. Only after confirming he wasn't mistaken did he quickly call his companions.
"I think you should come and see, the storm..."
"The storm clouds seem to be dissipating!"
The other two astronauts, who had also just woken up, scrambled over from other modules after hearing his shouts.
The three of them watched together as the Earth slowly regained its azure blue.
The storm clouds that had previously covered almost the entire Northern Hemisphere have now dissipated by at least half.
"We should send this message back immediately!"
Parker returned to the console, picked up the Mike, and prepared to contact the ground.
Fortunately, Houston is located at a latitude of less than 30 degrees north. The low latitude, combined with the special nature of the institution, allows people here to continue working despite the severe cold.
Houston responded quickly to Parker's call and listened to his report.
" Houston received. While you were still asleep, we obtained this information through other channels and forwarded it to the temporary command center. Thank you for your contribution."
"Other channels?" Parker, somewhat taken aback.
"Yes, other channels, after all, there's another space station flying in the sky right now."
Parker understood.
After hanging up the call, he returned to the window and shrugged at his two colleagues. "Our credit has been stolen..."
The other two are not surprising either.
"That's normal. They're far more advanced than us, and I heard there are hundreds of people working there, with someone on duty at every time slot."
"Every time I meet with them, I feel like we're driving an old, worn-out Volkswagen Beetle."
"Perhaps after this disaster, our space station will have to be decommissioned..."
New York.
Jack was huddled with his son Sam, clutching a wool rug; the two of them, along with everyone else in the library, were already asleep.
After the storm hit yesterday at noon, they didn't feel anything at first, but half an hour later, they felt a distinct chill.
That's definitely not just a psychological effect.
Even in temperatures approaching -100 degrees Celsius, it was packed into several rooms.
Coal alone could not guarantee heating over such a large area.
Fortunately, the low temperature didn't extinguish the coal pile; it only lowered the temperature, so they survived and got through the night safely.
Knock knock knock!
A loud knocking sounded in the silence, jolting Jack and the others awake.
Immediately afterwards, everyone saw rescuers in protective suits open the door, walk out, and turn on their flashlights, illuminating the entire room.
"Everyone wake up! The storm has temporarily passed; we need to take this opportunity to move..."
The group, who had been looking confused, immediately perked up upon hearing this and stood up to head for the door.
The rescuers left a light on, glanced around the house to make sure no one was asleep, and then went to other houses to call for help.
Sam, holding Laura's hand, slowly followed the crowd out.
Jack stood behind the young couple, answering Brian and JD's questions about meteorology, and making sure to emphasize again—
"The 21st century in our time and space is destined to be the century of meteorology!"
After navigating the winding road, a good half hour passed before Jack and his group finally climbed out through a gap in a window.
Only then did they realize that most of the clouds in the sky had dissipated, and golden sunlight shone through the atmosphere once again, bathing the world in warm hues reflected in the snow.
"The storm has stopped!"
"We really survived!?"
Many people couldn't control their excitement and rushed towards the direction of the sunlight, as if chasing the sun. They only took a few steps before getting stuck in the snow, unable to move, and calling for help, causing a huge commotion.
Not far away, a sled team from the Mutual Aid Society, towing Horn, passed by on the snow. "The storm has ended. All survivors are urged to leave their shelters immediately and gather at the nearest rescue team to prepare for evacuation..."
As the sleds passed each building, a slight noise would emerge from inside, and then, like hibernating animals, one person after another would pop out.
Jack put his arm around Sam's shoulder, took a deep breath, and gazed at the golden sun in the sky:
"Let's go, we're going home."