Storm

The wireless crackled with static but we could understand the broadcast signal was a warning that the storm was coming in an one hour.  On this planet that meant something because the weather was always so violent and sudden and the local weather radar had been installed in a protected nook in the mountains to the east.  It was the safest place for the equipment to be placed and stay put and not be damaged every time the weather got violent but the signal would be full of static because of the mountain but a large antenna was built into the roof of the building.  This planet’s weather was like the moods of a bipolar woman but when it was sunny and the clouds clear it was a beautiful thing that you could call paradise.  We called it Gladis because someone made a joke about how it reminded them of an Aunt they once had and it just stuck.  The colonist would just say Gladis was getting upset when the weather was about to change.  

We would gather in the main building that was strongest to hunker down during the storm.  We called it the lobby like we were staying in a hotel on a resort.  The temperature was perfect until the storms hit, never too hot or cold.  It was like a snow day on earth when the weather changed because we had to all go to the lobby and drink coffee until it was over.  It almost made us closer together because of these regular storm days.  The rain would pour down and the sky would light up like the Northern lights on steroids.  The sky would light up so bright and the noise was like nothing else you could see on earth.  We had all settled on this planet because it was the readings were optimal but after setting up basic buildings for a week a storm came and we had no warning lucky the building we had done was with the strongest material we had as is protocol for new colonies.  We had backup power in storage cells in case the line to the fuel cell generator was damaged.  We just had to wait for it to end and sometimes we would play cards or tell ghost stories which somehow made us feel better.  I think ancient humans used to do the same thing before they had tamed earth.  Well this planet could not be tamed and we would just have to learn to be safe during the storms.  After a year local planet time had passed we got used to the wild whims of Gladis.  

Well pirates had landed on the planet which happened to young colonies and still has supplies leftover or anything they mined and because we were so far out no one could help them.  We had not finished our orbital guns because all the storms had prevented us from finishing and launching into orbit. We were outgunned and outnumbered and hoped they wouldn’t kill anyone or take women or children.  We were scared and in the lobby like a storm was coming and we heard a signal on the wireless about a coming storm but the readings were bigger than anytime before.  We knew if the pirates were outside during the storm they would have to leave or get killed if they stayed.  We led them to the furthest building promising them some expensive equipment that had not been put together yet.  I looked at the pirates who looked like normal men and had no parrots or eye patches like they have on the ancient movies.  Well I hoped that storm was coming soon.  It was calm and quiet, not a breeze but I knew that was going to change soon. 

I eyed the lobby and how far I could run before I was tossed in the air by the sheer force of the wind.  It started with a crack of thunder and I took off running knowing I had one minute to make it before the storm would take me.  The pirates yelled at me to come back and were going to shoot me but I was not worried about them at this moment.  The sky lit up like a flare in the complete darkness of a cave. Then the wind blew like a hurricane and I made it to the door in time but the pirates had no chance and were smacked around like dolls.  Some made it to their ship and blasted off others were left behind I guess no honor among pirates.    This beautiful planet has protected us from attack and if there are any survivors I offer to live here I think they will respect this colony from now on.