###
“Ahem,”
Freddie said over the Ranger’s communication link. “Machine
Ranger?”
“Yes,
Freddie?”
“I
though it might be an opportune time to mention something, sir.”
“Okay.”
“Not
that I was listening in on your conversation or anything.”
“Of
course not,” Machine Ranger said. He turned to Jake and nodded his
head ‘yes’ to Freddie’s eavesdropping proclivities. “What
have you got?” he said into his link.
“A
little astrophysical programming,” Freddie replied, “and access
to the Internet.”
“Great,
Freddie. So …”
“I
happen to have a little information on the subject of solar flares.”
“You
do?” The Ranger looked at Jake. “That’s handy.”
Jake
shrugged. “Just don’t believe everything you read on the
Internet.”
“No
kidding … we’re always telling him that. He’s especially bad
with the gossip sites.”
“Machine
Ranger,” Freddie said, “shall I proceed?”
“Geez
… so serious all of a sudden. Yes, please proceed, Freddie. But
give us the CliffsNotes version … don’t read us the entire book,
okay?”
Jake
grinned.
“Certainly,”
Freddie said. “A solar flare is a sudden burst of energy released
from the surface of the sun.”
“We
knew that,” Machine Ranger said. “Didn’t we, Jake?”
“Yeah,
I had to do a report on them last year. And when another star
besides the Sun has one, it’s called a stellar flare.”
“Hear
that, Freddie? And he, with no internet access.”
“Only
old-school programming,” Jake said, with a light knock to the top
of his head.
“Did
that sound hollow to anyone else?” the Ranger said.
“Very
good, Jake,” Freddie said. “Not bad at all for just gray matter …
and teenaged gray matter at that.”
“Thanks
… I think.”
Machine
Ranger looked at him. “That was supposed to be a compliment
… I think.”
“And
a solar flare,” Freddie continued, “looks like a big zit popping
on the face of the sun.”
The
people exchanged a glance.
“Well,”
Machine Ranger said, “that certainly was a colorful articulation.”
“Ewww,”
Jake said.
“Thank
you,” Freddie said.
“Do
we know how much energy they release?” the Ranger said.
“Popping
zits?” Freddie said.
“Ewww,”
Jake said.
“No,
Freddie—solar flares.”
“A
lot of energy,” Freddie said. “As much as … equal to One
Hundred Sixty Billion megatons of TNT.”
“Whew,”
the Ranger said. “That’s quite a pop.”
###
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