Sun Storm

”There are times when you would have given away everything you owned just to be able to send one tiny SMS.” Maja, 15, In love

”That I got hold of more insulin and survived, that was a miracle.” Johanna, 42, Translator and mother of three

”People hung up so many notes the windows in the newspaper building were covered. The desperate ones put their full names and addresses there, and offered amongst other things gold and diamonds for a packet of formula milk. I couldn’t bring myself to remove these notes, even though I maybe should have – to protect them against the gangs of looters.” Erling, 60, Editor in chief

”Knowing that my beloved horse would become food – I couldn’t live with that.” Ruth, 14, Show jumper

”This is our country’s darkest hour, even our war veterans agree. Because this time the enemy is ourselves – our greed and our lack of solidarity.” Jens, 52, Prime minister

”Must store all the good stuff now, there’s not a soul with money. But I’m going to be filthy rich the day the cash machines start working again.” Lars, 29, Drug dealer

”Shit, don’t think anyone’s ever survived this fucking long in a goddamn elevator.” Ronny, 19, Psychiatric patient

 No texting. No Facebook. No hot showers. Forget cinema, pizza, car trips, shopping, the hairdryer, school, sports events, TV – everything you took for granted and used to fill your life with.

From one day to the next everything is changed in the mid-sized town of Fredrikstad, as it is in the rest of the world. Shops are closed, there’s no more money when the bank systems go out. Hospitals, prisons and other institutions break down. Car traffic, bus and trains are only for the few. Mobile phones, broadcasting and all forms of GPS navigation go black.

But love doesn’t die, even though this autumn will be icy cold and dark. Hostility, desperation and terror won’t die either.

Fifteen years old Maja has to handle that life will never be like it used to.

FACTS:

It happens about every one hundred and fifty years: The Earth is struck by a huge particle storm from the Sun.

Scientists believe that 2011-2013 are the most probable dates for this.

This hasn’t created large problems before; not other than ships running aground because magnetic compasses are put out of action. The solar flare doesn’t hurt people, animals, or plants. But this time, scientists fear that power lines, power grids and satellites are completely destroyed.