HellFire Effect

By William Rogers

Imagine a day and time where premeditated acts of violence that result in a homicide are directly and soon punished with unbearable pain, where no one on Earth is immune to the consequences of such an act. There's no means to prevent it. Its origin is unknown, but there are two camps of thought: it is a scientific anomaly from outer space or a manifestation of God. The Hellfire Effect is a unique mystery thriller written to tease a new imaginary concept derived from humanity's ongoing decline in the value of human life. This fiction follows the investigative efforts of a forensic scientist, an investigative reporter, and an atmospheric scientist who join forces to uncover the mystery surrounding the Hellfire Effect. Opposingly, religious and faith leaders declare the Hellfire Effect will bring peace to mankind. The reader will be exposed to many Hellfire Effect stories inspired by present-day news reports. 

 

Might such a phenomenon be possible? Could it help improve a sense of worldwide respect for human life? Read on to find out.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Rogers
• Release date: Apr 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224552047

Book preview

Chapter 1

CHRIS WALCOTT OFF TO COLLEGE

O n a second Sunday in August, J.C. (Jackson Cole) Walcott, his wife, and their children—daughter Blair and youngest son Nicholas—are filled with a mix of excitement and bittersweet emotions as they prepare to take their oldest son, Chris, to begin his freshman year at Hampton Aeronautics and Engineering University, a Historically Black University in Hampton, Virginia. The Walcotts live in Fredericksburg, Virginia. J.C. and Tiffany, his wife of twenty-three years, met while in college at Maryland State University. J.C majored in biology and Tiffany studied marketing and computer science.

Wearing khaki cargo shorts and a tank top, Chris is in the upstairs bathroom, looking in the mirror and priming himself to look his best. He utters with a Cheshire cat smile, Look out, Hampton A&E University, here I come for all your college hotties! Chris chose this university because of its well-known Aerospace Engineering school. He received a fully funded mathematics scholarship and plans to be an aerospace engineer one day. Blair, a rising high school junior, and Nicholas, a rising high school freshman, are in their rooms, entertaining themselves. Tiffany shouts out to the kids to come down for breakfast. Blair leaves her room and goes to open the bathroom door, but it is locked. She screams, CHRIS! Get out! This is my bathroom too! MOM! Chris is hogging the bathroom!

Chris mimics her as he finishes patting his hair and looking at the bathroom door; he exclaims to Blair, Big baby!

The door opens, and Chris exits. Before Blair can enter the bathroom, there’s enough room for Nicholas to run past her and into the bathroom. Nicholas closes the door. Blair shouts again, MOM!

The morning is humid and partly sunny as the family gathers around the kitchen table for a hearty breakfast. They share anecdotes from Chris’s childhood and laugh at old memories, cherishing their time together before he embarks on this new chapter of his life. After breakfast, they pack the family SUV with all the essentials Chris will need: bedding, clothes, electronics, and knickknacks. Once they are all in the SUV, J.C. backs out of the driveway and heads toward Hampton. They engage in meaningful conversations about Chris’s aspirations and dreams.

The Walcott family arrives on the Hampton campus, and the energy is palpable. The university buzzes with anticipation as students from diverse backgrounds gather to embark on their educational journeys. J.C. searches for the closest parking place to unload their vehicle and finds one close to Chris’s dorm. Everyone exits the SUV, grabs something, and accompanies Chris into Charles Olden Hall, named after a former federal government official and NASA astronaut. The lobby is busy with students and family members checking in, receiving dorm credentials, and moving belongings into their rooms. Anticipation abounds, with each first-year student eagerly waiting to meet their assigned roommate. Chris receives his freshman resident documents and dorm room keycard, and the family proceeds to his appointed room.

Just before Chris touches his key to the door lock, J.C. asserts, STOP! I must get a photo of you opening the door. J.C. pulls out his phone, repositions everyone waiting to enter the room, and then says, Okay. Open the door! Chris and Tiffany look at J.C. with whimsical smiles while shaking their heads. Blair rolls her eyes out of sight of them. Chris taps the door lock, opens the door, and enters the room. He is the first to arrive.

Mom asks, So, which side of the room do you want?

Chris looks at each side and points to the right. This side!

They help him settle into his dorm room, carefully arranging his belongings. Thirty minutes later, they are finished. The family rest on his bed and the chairs while chatting. The door remains open the entire time, and the Walcott family suddenly notice a few people standing in the doorway.

A young coed says, Hi, I’m Alex, assigned to this room.

Chris jumps to his feet and approaches Alex with an extended right hand. I’m Chris! Nice to meet you. Please come in. This is my family. My mom, my dad, my sister Blair, and my little brother Nicholas.

Alex turns and says, This is my mom and dad.

The family members introduce themselves.

Following the exchange of introductions and pleasantries, Tiffany offers, We will give you all the room so you can set things up. Nice to meet you, Alex, Carol, and Bob! Chris and his family exit the room.

During orientation events later that afternoon, the Walcotts meet other students and their parents. They hear inspiring stories from alumni who have made significant contributions in various fields. Anticipation and a feeling of possibility fill the atmosphere. Chris begins envisioning his future path from the inspiring stories. He is amazed to see all the displayed postings, vendors, and student organizations advertising the many student resources, services, and clubs available throughout the campus mall. Chris wanders around the myriad of exhibits and collects a few swag (stuff we all get) items from various booths. Those booths advertising science-based subject matter are of particular interest to him. Chris’s face gleams with excitement at all the workshops and presentations on new technology and science. He walks to another booth and begins perusing the New Science Discoveries pamphlets. To his left, a female freshman stops at the same booth. He asks the attendant what examples of the new scientific discoveries are.

The attendant responds, Science is constantly evolving. For instance, biologists are discovering new molecular reactions that were unknown a decade ago. Nanotechnology is becoming better understood, and its applications are being investigated and tested in human anatomy. The November Science Week event will include these topics and many others.

I can’t wait to go to that! Turning to the female student, Chris says, Hi, my name is Chris Walcott. I’m a freshman.

Oh, hi! My name is Stacie Roberts. I’m also a freshman. Where are you from, Chris?

I’m from Fredericksburg. And you?

Stacie responds, I’m from Dover, Delaware.

Chris meets his first new college friend, and they continue to get to know each other while walking around the orientation welcome event.

As time draws near for the Walcott family to return home, minus Chris, J.C. is talking with a couple of other dads and learns about a news report of an asteroid heading toward Earth. J.C. is intrigued.

My wife and I were talking in the parking lot, and I received a text from one of my buddies back home, and he said an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth! exclaimed one father.

At that exact moment, while standing in the freshman dorm’s lobby, a nearby television is tuned to a cable news channel reporting about the asteroid J.C. has just learned about. The news anchor shares that this is the same asteroid hobbyist astronomer Devin Francisco said he had been tracking a few months prior. Devin explains that the asteroid had traveled an entirely different vector two weeks earlier and, for some unknown reason, had recently changed direction, which placed it on a collision course with Earth. Devin convinced himself that he had made a calculation error for the asteroid’s path of travel or that some enormous, unknown object had T-boned it. The reporter closes by saying more information about the asteroid will come once it becomes available.

Chapter 2

EARTH AND THE ASTEROID THREAT

T he world holds its breath as news spreads of a massive asteroid hurtling toward Earth. Panic ensues, and nations scramble to find a solution to this impending catastrophe. In a remarkable display of international cooperation, the United States and Russia partner to facilitate a joint initiative known as the Orbital Space Barrier Mission (OSBM) to intercept and divert the asteroid’s trajectory.

In Washington, D.C., President Matthew A. Knight, the 49th President of the United States and of Puerto Rican descent, is in a secure location meeting with the heads of NASA, Space Force, and other national security agency organizations. President Knight and all those present are viewing a large monitor showing the massive object traveling through space toward Earth.

So, we have a matter of a few weeks to come up with something to keep this asteroid, the size of Rhode Island, from colliding with Earth? the president asks. What are our options?

NASA Administrator Charles Chuck Baldwin responds, Mr. President. Our best option and probable solution will require us to partner with Russia.

What do you mean?

If we launch a coordinated strike, using two nuclear warheads, the detonation will fragment the asteroid into two or three sections, and their trajectories would bypass Earth.

Why do we need Russia? We have a cache of nuclear ICBMs here.

"Yes, sir, that