Greetings, folks! Sorry about the wait, I've been busy with final exams. Yes, we're still in school here. It's not easy residing in New Jersey all the time. Thanks for the reviews, by the way!

Okay, let's get to Chapter 6!

Back at NOAA a little while later, Patrick was walking up to a microphone. He had called everyone into the main room to discuss the extreme weather that had occurred.

"Alright, guys listen up please," said Patrick as everyone quieted down. "Guys, we have a lot of work to do, and there isn't a whole lot of time to do it. So let's get started right away with Smith."

Smith stood up and held out a few pieces of paper, "All our weather grid models are worthless."

Lewis sighed, "Doesn't look like grid models will be a lot of help here. The Canadians are reporting incredible circulation traveling south from the Arctic. In northern Siberia, there is a low pressure system unlike any we've seen before, and Australia just received the strongest typhoon ever recorded."

"What are you saying?" someone asked, "That these things are interconnected?"

Smith answered, "It's important that we should at least consider it."

Another person said, "There's only one force strong enough to effect global weather, and that's the sun."

Patrick asked Brittany, "What does NASA have to say about it?"

Brittany answered, "We just checked. Solar output is the same as always."

From above, Fredrick asked, "What about the North Atlantic Current?"

"What about it?" Smith asked.

Fredrick explained, "Last night, I got a phone call from Professor Peterson at the Hedland Climate Center in Scotland. He thinks the current has changed."

There was murmuring. How could the current be changing?

"Come on, Fredrick," said Lewis, "How is that possible?"

Fredrick elaborated, "The current depends upon a delicate balance of salt and fresh water."

"We're all aware of that," interrupted Patrick.

"Yes," Fredrick continued, "Except no one has taken into account how much fresh water has been dumped into the ocean because of the polar ice caps melting as they are. I think we may have reached a critical desalinization point."

(For those who don't know, "desalinization" means the process of removing salt from.)

There was more murmuring amongst the people there. Brittany seemed interested in Fredrick's words, "It would certainly explain why all this extreme weather has been occurring."

Fredrick went on, "Hedland had some pretty convincing data. They've asked me to try to feed it into my paleoclimate model to track the next set of events."

Looking confused, Patrick asked, "Wait a minute, Fredrick. Are you trying to say that these disasters are going to continue?"

Fredrick had a deep look of concern as he answered, "Not just continue. Get worse." He paused, and then finished, "I have a feeling we could be on the verge of a major climate shift."

There was more murmuring than ever, as everyone discussed what Fredrick had said.

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Moments later, Fredrick walked hurriedly up to Patrick, who was heading to his office. "Pat," Fredrick said, "What are you going to tell the administration?"

Patrick retorted, "What am I supposed to tell them, Fredrick?"

"The government has to start making long term preparations now. This could be serious."

"Key word, Fredrick. This could be serious. All you have is a theory."

"Well, then, just give me the mainframe and let me prove it!"

Annoyed, Patrick turned around and said, "No."

Fredrick stared at him as Steve and Mark appeared behind him.

Patrick sighed and said, "I'm giving you forty-eight hours." Then he walked away.

Fredrick turned around and sighed with relief.

"Professor Fenton," a voice said to Fredrick. It was Brittany. "I think your theory may be correct."

"Walk with me," said Fredrick, and then they started to walk back the way Fredrick came. Brittany said, "Just a couple weeks ago, I monitored the strongest hurricane on record. The hail, the tornadoes, it all fits. Can the model you're working on factor in storm scenarios?"

Steve answered that, "No, we haven't had the time yet."

"Maybe I can help."

Fredrick nodded, "You're in."

"Thanks."

Steve said to her with a smile, "Hi, I'm Steve."

"Hi."

Mark stared at Steve, and then slapped him in the back of the head.

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Back in Manhattan a couple hours later, the rain still wasn't letting up on the city. Flooding was slowly starting to occur in a few parts of the city. As a result, everyone was staying inside for the day. Rather than being concerned on how to get home, most of the students were a little upset that they couldn't enjoy the sights.

Down in the lobby, Dash was groaning, "Man, what a rip-off. I was gonna do a little graphite to let everyone know I was here. Stupid storm."

Paulina whined, "I know. It was gonna be so great seeing everything around here. And now it's all ruined."

Upstairs in Danny, Sam, and Tucker's room, the three of them were talking about what was happening.

"Gee," said Danny, "I wish we could've enjoyed the sights a little more."

"It figures," said Tucker, "When we go with Lancer it's partly cloudy, and then when he lets us go by ourselves, it pours without stopping."

Sam said, "Forget it. How are we getting back to Amity Park now?"

Tucker answered, "I heard Lancer say earlier that we're taking a train back."

Danny smiled, "Well, I'll take that over flying. In an airplane, at least. Flying in ghost form, I'm cool with that." Then he walked over to the window and stared out it.

"What's wrong?" asked Sam.

Danny sighed, "I just can't sit here all day! I got to do something! I'm going for a fly." Then two rings formed at his waist and split. His white and red shirt and jeans disappeared, and became a black and white jumpsuit. His blue eyes became a glowing green, and his raven-black hair became snow-white. He was now his alter-ego, Danny Phantom.

"Anybody want to come?" asked Danny.

"No, that's okay," said Tucker, "I'm feeling tired anyway. I think I'll go take a nap."

Sam shrugged, "Nah. I'll just watch TV for a while."

Danny nodded, and then turned intangible and invisible and phased out through the wall.

Flying in the pounding rain wasn't something that Danny preferred, but at least he had something to do. As Danny looked around, he began to think about what had been going on with the weather lately.

Man, first the hurricane in the Caribbean, then the snow in India, then the hailstorm in Japan, then the tornadoes in L.A. Something weird could be going on. Gee, I'm starting to think like my uncle Fredrick. He studies weather and that kind of stuff.

I wonder if this could have to do with global warming. Fredrick was at some global warming conference in India, but I don't know what happened. It can't be anything big though. Maybe it's just a fluke.

But Danny still had a feeling that something may not be right.

Just then, Danny's cellphone rang, interrupting his thoughts. Danny flew down to the ground and into an alley. He answered, "Hello?"

Jack answered, "Hi, son. How is everything?"

"Oh, hi dad. Everything's okay, I guess. Except it's been raining since yesterday and the planes have been grounded."

Jack answered, "I know, son. I heard about it on the news. Listen, your mother and I are a little concerned."

"What's there to be concerned about?"

"It's just that the weather has been acting suspicious lately. Did you watch the news? There were tornadoes in Los Angeles, son!"

Danny answered, "I know, dad. I saw it on TV. Anyway, what does that have to do with anything?"

"It's just we think the quicker you get home, the better. How are you getting home?"

"Lancer said we'll be taking a train back."

"That'll work fine. Listen, are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'm sure. Dad, please just don't worry about me. I can figure this out on my own."

"Okay, son. I trust you. See you tomorrow, Danny."

"See ya," said Danny, and then he hung up. He put the phone away and flew off again, still thinking.

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Back in Washington a few hours later, Fredrick, Steve, Mark, and Brittany were working on the forecast model. So far, they hadn't put everything all together yet.

Fredrick was growing tired. He normally never liked to rest on a job.

Mark walked over to Fredrick with a cup of coffee, "Fredrick, you've been working for about eight hours straight. You're the only one who hasn't taken a break. Maybe you should get some sleep."

Fredrick sighed and answered, "Maybe I'll try to shut my eyes for a little while. Call me when you get the results." Then he got up and walked into his office, which had a small couch."

Brittany asked Steve and Mark, "Is he always this obsessive?"

They both answered, "Yes."

"Does he ever lighten up?"

"No."

"How long have you guys been working for him?"

Steve answered that, "Well, Mark's been in his employment since the dawn of time. I've only gone through three years of slavery."

A little while later, the three of them walked down into Fredrick's office, where he was still asleep. "Fredrick," said Steve, "We have the results."

Fredrick sat up and Steve handed him a few papers. He rubbed his eyes and looked. When he looked up, his eyes showed a look of utter disbelief.

"Six to eight months? That can't be possible."

Steve shook his head, while Brittany said, "I'm afraid that time scale isn't in months. It's in weeks."

Fredrick's look turned from disbelief to fear as he looked at the model again.

Oh, boy. This looks really serious now. Rather than in a hundred or a thousand years like Fredrick said in New Delhi, the climate could be shifting over the next six to eight weeks. But at least Danny and the gang have a way home. What will come out of it? Find out in Chapter 7!