The Blackout Bolt
A storm is building over the Power Plains, and The Surge wants every AC in Comfort City by sunset. One Blackout Bolt, and the whole town goes dark. The season finale!
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The end… for now!
Pure saved a scan file from this mission. Read it to learn the real science behind the story.
Read the story as text
Page 1
STORM AT SUNSET
Southwest of Comfort City, a storm was building.
The Surge: “Lights flicker… I strike.”
Flickers: “Blink! Blink! Hee hee!”
Talon: “Something's sparking out on the Power Plains!”
Pure: “Beep! Voltage spike! A big SURGE is coming.”
Goldstrike: “The Surge! He wants every AC in town by sunset.”
Manny: “New START PARTS… and the GOLD SHIELD. Packed!”
Goldstrike: “Wing Force, wings up! Let's clear the air!”
VWOOOM!
Page 2
LAIR OF THE SURGE: The Thunderhead. Down below, a giant GRAY BOX: the power switch for an AC.
The Surge: “One Blackout Bolt, and every AC in town goes dark!”
Manny: “Uh… is it me, or is everything blinking?”
The Surge: “Welcome to the Thunderhead, little heroes!”
Flickers: “On again! On again!”
SPZZT!
Page 3
Goldstrike: “Airflow Shield!”
ZAP!
The Surge: “Go on, flip it back on! It'll start this time!”
Pure: “Beep! Nope. Every restart makes that part hotter!”
SUNSET SOON
Talon: “Talon's got a question! Why does it hum but not spin?”
Pure: “Its little START PART got burned by the jolt!”
Goldstrike: “Then here's the plan. OFF! SWAP! SHIELD!”
The Surge: “…Bzzt?”
Page 4
Goldstrike: “OFF! Power off before anyone fixes a thing.”
Manny: “SWAP! Out with the burned part, in with the new!”
The Surge: “No fair!”
Goldstrike: “SHIELD! A surge protector helps block your jolts!”
BOINK!
WHIRRR
The Surge: “This isn't over… bzzt.”
Talon: “Storms come and go. We'll be here!”
Page 5
SUNSET
The storm passed. Every light in Comfort City was still on.
Goldstrike: “Lightning outside means heroes stay inside.”
Talon: “Storm watching is an INSIDE job!”
Wing Force: “To Wing Force!”
CLICK.
Talon: “Uh… who turned off the lights?”
TO BE CONTINUED…
Pure’s Scan File
- What
- A power SURGE: a sudden jolt of extra electricity from a storm or the power lines.
- Where
- The little START PARTS inside the outside unit that get the AC going.
- Why Now
- Summer storm season. One big jolt can burn a start part, so the AC hums or clicks but won't start.
- The Fix
- A grown-up sets the thermostat to OFF instead of restarting it again and again, and calls a pro. A pro replaces burned parts and can add a surge protector, which helps block many jolts.
- Your Hero Job
- Stay inside during lightning. If the AC hums, clicks or won't start after a storm, tell a grown-up. Never touch the outside unit or the gray box beside it.
