‘Beep. Be..’ He turned off the alarm before it finished its first cycle. The dial read 06:00, but the number meant nothing. Day and night had become indistinguishable over the past few weeks and sleep was something that didn’t come by easily. The adrenaline rush, the tight schedules and the compulsory attention to details, “nights” whizzed by tossing and turning. He was the chosen one, over other candidates (eligible no doubt). “You are going to make…

It was a stiffling afternoon. The everyday sounds of a busy residential area enveloped him as he remained hidden in an alcove. Tuning out the noises, he listened intently. The trees stood quiet, the leaves silent. “No wind”, he thought and that suited him fine. As he waited for his target, he reflected on what he was about to do.

It was around quarter past midnight and Sam still had another four hours of his shift to go at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the island of Kilauea. Inspite of him, a wide yawn escaped his lips. “Time for a coffee”, he thought and began to rise from his chair. A distinct beep caused him to stop midway. The graph on his monitor had begun to show spikes. A brief flat line and the second set of spikes appeared. “The P and S waves”, thought Sam, “the characteristic sign of an earthquake.”…