Zodiac Story

Commemorate This August Era With Five Azure Storms Part 1

"Students, since you all have done an excellent job on your presentations and gotten above 85% on average, I would like to introduce a friend of mine. As I can clearly see, your presentations are well-done and well-researched. However, the final project will take more than just mere research. As your teacher, I always would recommend a primary source over secondary sources, and my friend does Calamity research on behalf of the government. Now there are a few rules: No asking about anything relating to the government, no asking about her life outside work, and be on your best behaviour." Gāo Jìngyí switched on the computer. "Huá Yǔfēi, you're on camera."

A woman with an upright posture popped up on screen, wearing a tucked in shirt under a business suit and smiling slightly. "Hello class. As your teacher explained, I do work for the government. I am a meteorologist specialising in Calamity detection, and I lead a team of individuals dedicated to understanding Calamities. At what point did the Calamities start appearing? Who can tell me that?" These are children, they are not her co-workers, so don't be so harsh, she thought.

Ten hands started waving high, each student wanting to be picked. Yǔfēi picked the one in the back. She always felt partial to those in the back. "Tell me your name."

"Wáng Huànmíng. The Calamities started appearing thirty-three years ago."

"Can you tell me where?" No answer. "Does anyone have an answer?"

A girl at the front raised her hand. "Dǒng Wénzhēn, and the first Calamity happened in the Pacific Ocean."

"That is correct. While my team does specialise in detecting Calamities before they officially become a threat, we also research into the origin of Calamities. Scientists at the time of the first Calamity had believed that it was the result of rapid climate change, which was projected to come with increasingly strong natural phenomena, such as wildfires burning out of control and razing the land to the ground or hurricanes which broke the Saffir-Simpson scale." The students were nodding along, while a select few in the back row were nodding off. She made note of that.

"Now, it has been determined that natural disasters of that scale would only arrive sometime in our present day, not in the 2020s. What is known is that Calamities do not conform to the older models and categories. Rather, they exceed that. The first Calamity was an earthquake close to the Ring of Fire, which triggered a tsunami that flooded the city of Shanghai, where your school stands today in fact. Many of the victims of the first Calamity were caught off guard due to lack of attention to warning signs, something your fellow students in the back row may want to keep in mind." Everyone turned around to the students in the back, who all started becoming alert.
Another student raised their hand.
"Yes, you may speak."

"Zhū Mínshuāng. During my research, there were mentions of multiple types of Calamities, and a lot of unsupported theories that there could be a supernatural cause behind them. Can you tell me more?" She seemed curious. A lot like Yǔfēi when she was much younger.

"Ah hahaha!" She was told she laughed weirdly. That can't be true. "Yes, I have heard about those theories. In regards to the theories saying that there are monsters inside, we have recorded unexplained solid masses inside the Calamities. However, this was found to be the result of faulty sensors, and we replaced those accordingly."

A few students were astonished at this revelation. Some had started nodding off again, and shook themselves awake after realising.

"As for the multiple types of Calamities, there are two main types," she continued. "The first is geological, a category defined by Calamities with origins in natural geological processes, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and floods. The second is atmospheric. Tornadoes, hurricanes, micro bursts, water spouts, acid rain, the ones that are the most famous due to their high frequency in comparison to the geological category. This is also my focus in terms of research. We have been debating on adding a cosmic category, but that is up to the United Nations, not us." Zhū Mínshuāng started writing all of this down in a small journal. Another student in the front row was eagerly taking notes. She smiled. Ah, young people, always quick to write stuff down.