The Darkest Skies Quotes

“Predicting tornadoes is like drawing straws. Blindfolded. With mittens on.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Risk a lot to save a lot,” Chase pointed out. It was an old motto for first responders. “The entire city of Omaha feels like it’s worth a lot of risk.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“It sucked a shelter out of the ground. Like…a tornado shelter. That was buried in the ground,”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Wind speeds around four hundred and sixty-five miles an hour?” “Affirmative,” Cruz said. “That’s not even possible,” Allison breathed. “It’s a ten,” Ryder whispered, letting the words hang in the air. He didn’t need to say it. Every Knight knew what those number signified. “Like…it could be a twelve if the damn scale went that high.” “They used to say EF5 tornadoes were ‘the finger of God’. So, I guess that must be the ‘fist of God’,” Liam offered unhelpfully.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“I’m sure you’ve noticed the team dynamic. We laugh, we squabble, we hurt together, and we celebrate together. We face dangers normal people flee from and we rely on one another. But we also communicate. Feel free to come to me with anything.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Remember,” Wolfe said, “the suggestions you make, outcomes you record, and reports you write are setting baselines for other Knights to possibly use, or sometimes avoid, in the future. Not every tactic you suggest will work and sometimes it may be something we’ve already tried and know is ineffective. But don’t let those get you down. Each tornado is a chance to come up with better and safer strategies.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Not every tornado acts the same way and not every tornado can be stopped the same way. We are ever changing with our science and tactics. Like the first tornado you fought with us. You had a great suggestion, and it worked.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“No matter where this career takes you or how many seasons you give it, always remember…life comes first. Tornadoes will piss you off and you’ll want to destroy them all, but you can’t lock onto a problem and let everything else fade away. You need to look at every aspect.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“It has nothing to do with a lack of skills or errors in deployment – sometimes mother nature just takes over.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Sometimes, conditions change rapidly and getting people out takes precedence.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Much like fighting through the fear of standing in front of an approaching tornado, it wasn’t the absence of fear, rather the ability to push the fear aside or push through it.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“The tornado was barreling down and dwarfed the town footprint in size. Julesburg was a mile wide, east to west. If the tornado hit directly, the entire town would be wiped off the map.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“As a boy, he had lost his home and his family. Here, on the road, facing danger and unknowns, he felt a new, changed sense of home, but a home nonetheless. Turning back to the debris falling in the early light, Luke felt pride replace the adrenaline of the prior moment, realizing his tactical suggestion had just helped slay a tornado and save lives.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Each vehicle was similar, but a different model, and with a different task. And yet, each had the same ultimate goal – to neutralize tornadoes. They also appeared well suited for tackling a zombie apocalypse should the need ever arise.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Fighting tornadoes is an ever-changing profession that require professionals who are willing to be life-long learners. To do so safely and effectively is our number one priority. While these brave Knights are willing to risk everything to save lives and property, we want them to do so as safely as possible. Learning and developing tactics to counteract tornadoes is imperative.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Joining the Knights was similar to joining the military or other emergency services – there was no guarantee of a safe return.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Previously thought to be sci-fi technology, the military had prototyped and successfully used these suits in warfare situations. The armor, which was designed to be lightweight, flexible, and bulletproof, was the perfect design for Knights facing three-hundred-mile-an-hour flying debris.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Previously reserved for military use, the suits were like form-fitting space suits, complete with nano armor plates on the arms, shoulders, chest, abdomen, back, and legs. Helmets housed built-in weather sensors, lights, and a heads-up display – or HUD.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Just because the Knights exist, doesn’t mean they are able to stop every tornado. Luke was living proof of that, but if he could learn different ways to slay these beasts, perhaps others wouldn’t suffer the same fate he had at a young age.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Luke knew Tornado Knights used various tools and weapons in an attempt to disrupt tornadoes. From microwave guns, to super-cooled helium grenades, to rifles that fire disruptive beams into the core of the beasts – the Knights had an arsenal of weapons to calm the raging vortexes. But, getting on the ground floor of trying to learn new tactics was exciting to him. It could save thousands of lives.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies

“Even the most mundane day can forever sear itself into memory and history – without warning.”
― Mark Becker, The Darkest Skies