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shed by frigid winds and freezing temperatures。 The Gobi； Sahara； and Mojave regions； then tropical forests； became dry and arid。 The continental shelves that once stood above the water were now drowned。 The magnetic poles reversed their polarity。 Civilizations that existed were buried as deep as five hundred feet beneath the surface。 It might have taken as long as twenty years before the world became pletely stable again。 The few humans who somehow survived were faced with a very grim existence； and it was a miracle any of them endured to bee our ancestors。〃
Pat set down her cup。 〃The primitive people of the Earth were so badly decimated and fragmented； they kept no record of their activities for thousands of years。 Except for the inscriptions by the Amenes； most of which were lost or buried； the only memories of the cataclysm that were passed down came by word of mouth。 Only after the early Egyptians； the Sumerians； and the Indus civilization of India reinvented the written language did records and stories of the deluge begin to spread。〃
〃Who knows what cities；〃 said Pitt； 〃what palaces with their archaeological treasures lie scattered on the deep seafloor or buried under hundreds of feet of silt and rock？ Except for the inscriptions left by the Amenes； we have no way of assessing the splendor of the distant past before civilizations began rebuilding themselves。〃
Friend had remained silent while each member of the group envisioned the nightmare。 He let his eyes rove around the sitting area inside the mand truck； curiously observing the expressions of abhorrence in their eyes。 Only Pitt's eyes seemed to be posed。 It was as if he was contemplating something much different； something far off in the distance。
〃And thus ends the cataclysm；〃 said Sandecker morosely。
Friend slowly shook his head。 〃I haven't yet e to the worst part；〃 he said； his earlier smile gone。 〃Only in the past few years have scientists e to realize the major upheavals Earth has experienced in the past； with and without influence by objects from outer space。 We know now that a significant impact by a large et or asteroid has the capability to cause the earth's crust to shift。 Charles Hapgood put forth the theory that because it literally floats on an inner molten core； the crust or shell； which is only twenty to forty miles thick； can and has rotated around the core's axis； causing great extremes in climate and the movement of the continents。 It's called earth crust displacement； and its consequences can be catastrophic。 At first； Hapgood's theory was laughed at by other Earth scientists。 Then Albert Einstein focused his intellect on it and ended up agreeing with Hapgood。〃
〃Sort of like the coating of Teflon around a soccer ball；〃 suggested Yaeger。
〃The same principle；〃 Friend acknowledged。 〃Our puter simulation suggested that the impact exerted enough pressure to move the crust。 The result was that some continents； islands； and other landmasses shifted closer to the equator； while others shifted farther away。 The movement also caused the North and South Poles to shift from their former positions into warmer climates； unleashing trillions of tons of water that raised the surface of the oceans over almost four hundred feet。 To give you an example； before the deluge； a man or woman could have walked from London across the English Channel to France without getting their feet wet。
〃In the end； the whole world was rearranged。 The North Pole that was in the center of Canada was now far to the north in what is now known as the Arctic Sea。 Siberia also shifted north in an incredibly short time span； as evidenced by fruit trees with leaves and woolly mammoths that were found quick…frozen； with vegetation undigested in their stomachs that no longer grew within a thousand miles of that location。 Because North America and most of Europe revolved south； the great ice age abruptly ended。 Antarctica also shifted south； nearly two thousand miles from the region it had once occupied in the southern sea between the lower portions of South America and Africa。〃
〃Was Earth's orbit affected？〃 Yaeger asked。
〃No； the orbit remained on its present track around the sun。 Nor was the Earth's axis altered。 The equator remained where it had been since the beginning。 The four seasons came and went as always。 Only the face of the globe had changed。〃
〃That explains a great deal；〃 said Pitt； 〃such as how the Amenes could draw a map of Antarctica without its ice mass。〃
〃And their city under the ice that the Germans discovered；〃 said Pat。 〃Its climate was habitable before the shift。〃
〃What about the Earth's axis of rotation？〃 queried Giordino。 〃Would that change？〃
Friend shook his head。 〃Earth's tilt of twenty…three point four degrees would remain constant。 The equator would also remain constant。 Only the crust above the fluid core would move。〃
Sandecker said； 〃If we could get back to the et for a moment； it's time for you to answer Dirk's question。 Were the Amenes and the Wolf family right in predicting a cataclysmic collision with the twin of the et that struck earth in seven thousand B。C。？〃
〃May I have another cup of coffee？〃 Friend asked。
〃Certainly；〃 said Loren； pouring from the pot on the center table。
Friend took a few sips and set the cup down。 〃Now； then； before I answer your question； Admiral； I'd like to describe briefly the new Asteroid and et Attack Alert System； which came online just last year。 A number of telescope facilities and specially designed instruments have been set up in different areas of the world for the express purpose of discovering asteroids and ets whose orbits approach Earth。 Already； astronomers manning the facilities have discovered over forty asteroids that will e unpleasantly close to Earth at some point within its orbit。 But detailed calculations reveal that they will all miss by a fortable margin in the years ahead。〃
〃Have they known about the approach of the second et；〃 said Loren in dismay； 〃and suppressed any warning of the threat？〃
〃No；〃 said Friend。 〃Though the astronomers agreed to keep news of such possible encounters secret for forty…eight hours； until puter projections could definitely say a collision was imminent。 Only when they are certain a collision is imminent would news of the discovery be made public。〃
〃So what you are saying〃 said Yaeger。
〃Is that there is no emergency。〃
Pitt looked at Friend。 〃e again。〃
〃The event in seven thousand B。C。；〃 explained Friend； 〃was a million…to…one chance occurrence。 The et that struck Earth； and the et that arrived a few days later and missed； were not twins。 They were separate objects in different orbits that happened to cross paths with Earth at almost the same time。 An incredible coincidence； nothing more。〃
〃How soon is the second et due to return？〃 Pitt inquired warily。
Friend thought a moment； then said； 〃Our best guess is that it will fly by no closer than eight hundred thousand miles from us in another ten thousand years。〃
There came several moments of stunned silence； as perplexity flooded the minds of the people se