With a super-human effort, John keeps the shuttle running straight and true down the runway. Having no parachutes, the normal stopping distance comes and goes quickly, even with the extended runway. Emergency vehicles struggle to catch the still speeding shuttle, dodging debris that continues to fall from the obviously crippled machine.
As the end of the runway approaches the shuttle slows to a realistic speed, allowing the pursuing vehicles to finally catch up. With little runway left, the shuttle finally comes to a grinding halt. Ground crews frantically set up a gantry to get to the crew members. Foam is sprayed vigorously over the remaining portions of the shuttle’s engines. The outer hull is still so hot, gloved hands sizzle at each contact.
The moments tick by as all pray the Endeavour does not simply explode. The cargo bay doors open partially, and then jam. Fearing an explosion, the gantry crews work fast to get the astronauts out. The minutes drag on as rescue crews work feverishly.
While the condition of many of the crew is still unknown, Gustav finds John, stands tall, salutes him, and then shakes his hand firmly. “You are one brave man. On behalf of the ISS crew, we thank you.”
“Commander Fuchs, sir, my duty was to try, and I must say, it’s a pleasure in making it back to Earth alive. I do hope everyone makes it; that was one hell of a rough trip for you folks back there.”
The rescued team from the ISS is ferried to nearby hospital facilities. John and his crew are not used to having no one waiting for them. After a basic physical, the three-man cockpit crew can only sit and wait for whatever happens next.
Location:
Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP)
315 KM North East of Geraldton, Western Australia.
The sky is alight with shooting stars. The meteors and asteroids blaze their way into satellites, or toward the ground. High in the sky, miniature suns appear, then vanish. They are followed by deep booms that resonate through the air, parting the clouds. The effects are quite beautiful as the full spectrum of colors wash over the skies with each blast.
Joe, once again, comes running into the video conference room to see Andrew staring at a screen filled with static. His amazing oceanic eyes that have won over many a lady, are now just blank voids. “Andrew mate, we have to leave.” Andrew does not respond, but simply continues to stare at his screen. Joe grabs him and says, “We have to leave now; impact is soon.”
“What do you mean, impact? Are we a target? When did you say? I can’t believe this is happening.” Andrew replies distantly.
“C'mon mate, we have to go now!” Joe says, with more conviction. He glances at the static-filled screen, knowing that this can only mean the satellite feed has been lost.
Andrew shakes his head, rubs his hands through his matted fair hair, clearing his thoughts, he looks back at Joe with a little more coherence.
“Andrew, mate, you guys were in that conference for hours and hours. We have lost most of our satellites. There is nothing we can do. We have to leave here, and I mean right now.”
“Right, yes, I remember. I’m just tired, mate.” Andrew stifles a yawn as he gets up and stretches his body.
He has not slept in his bed since before he and Joe discovered the incoming objects. The last of the crew hastily grabs all they can before departing. Joe leaves many of the systems running, to record data for as long as is possible. Hopefully, the folks in Perth can get some use out of whatever information they get. Joe had no idea so many people were at the array. He looks out at the long line of vehicles being quickly loaded. With little time to spare the departing vehicles kick up small clouds of dust as they accelerate down the dirt road, and away from impending danger.
Even from a distance of a few miles, the blaze of a single asteroid can be seen as it hurtles toward the area the convoy of workers and scientists has just left. The impact is truly staggering. A massive shock wave, totally disproportionate to the size of the asteroid, rolls out from the impact. A massive dust plume rises up from the desert floor, and the ground seems to roll outward, like waves created by a stone landing in a pool of water. The group of cars and trucks stops, all are awed by the power of this one small asteroid as it shatters the landscape.
Andrew, along with the others, looks at the destruction with despair. Dismayed, he remembers Joe telling him there were about seventy asteroids that size, all expected to hit other radio telescope facilities, a few military installations, and worse yet, some populated areas. To no one in particular, he mutters, “God help us all.”
Joe looks at his laptop and starts to frown at the information displayed. He had not been getting information on the asteroids, but rather of the larger objects behind them. Twenty-three massive objects are slowing down, with some maneuvering into high orbit positions behind the last of the asteroids. With that last snippet of information, Joe loses his wireless connection. Looking up into the multicolored sky, Joe says a silent prayer before he and his colleagues continue on. He can only wonder about the additional damage caused to the world by so many nuclear blasts.
Around the world, electromagnetic pulses fuse power and telephone lines, and wreak havoc wherever they reach. Fortunately, the early forays into high altitude nuclear detonations remind us of some long-forgotten lessons, thus, damage is far less than most expected it to be. Even so, Joe's concerns are quite justified.
Location:
Manhattan Island
New York
As the Earth rotates on its twenty-four hour cycle, impacts strike many places around the globe, from satellite tracking stations to military command centers. Each impact is just as devastating as the one at the Australian tracking station.
One such object hurtles along a clear trajectory. A massive volley of nuclear explosions high above the atmosphere damages, and slightly deflects, the asteroid. Slowed, but still with tremendous speed, the mindless hunk of material continues on its deadly course. Heating up in the atmosphere, small pieces of its damaged outer shell peel away. The hurtling object appears a little smaller with each passing moment.
“Look Mommy!” says an energetic eight-year-old boy, excited as he stands high inside the Statue of Liberty. He looks up at his parents with all the joys of a little boy filled with wonder. “Wow, it’s so bright! Is it getting bigger?” His hand is squeezed a little tighter than necessary by his mother, but in his excitement, he does not notice. Looking down, he adds with puzzlement. “Daddy, why are all those people running? Will it get us? The news said we were safe. Are we safe Daddy?” Johnny looks up with all the faith every little boy has in his parents.
George looks down at his son, and their hazel eyes meet, making George smile. He replies, “Johnny, when your grandparents arrived here from Italy, the first thing that stuck in their minds was this statue. They saw other signs of New York City, but this statue really gave them hope for a better future.”
George looks over to his slender wife, Lisa, with her long black hair, and striking European features, as he continues. “Today, we too, stand here in hope, for our future.” George holds his hand out for Lisa to hold.
She looks back at her husband who, at five feet nine, is tall for an Italian. She reflects on how his dark complexion only adds to his charisma, and she steps closer to hug her man.
The asteroid can be heard now, its speed so great, it seems to be coming straight down upon them. People run, horns blare, and cars collide at intersections, all adding to the mayhem. Total panic now seizes the citizens of New York. Police and Fire sirens can be heard from all over the panic-stricken city, but with the streets a virtual gridlock, they have little to no chance of helping.
The fiery asteroid, about sixteen feet in size, leaves behind a trail of thick smoke as it blazes earthward.
“Oh wow. Daddy, it’s going behind those buildings. That’s Manhattan, isn't it?”
The last of Johnny's words are drowned out by the sound of the tremendous impact as the asteroid strikes somewhere in Central Park. The lake, along with the
nearest buildings, is vaporized by the staggering impact and its ensuing blast wave. Five blocks away, buildings instantly crumble into piles of dust and debris. Ten blocks away, the shock wave lifts pavement fifteen feet into the air, flinging vehicles higher still. Buildings collapse as the blast wave causes support structures to flex impossibly, then snap like matchsticks. Twenty blocks away, buildings crumble as though pushed over by some invisible force. Nothing is left standing in its wake as the destructive epicenter expands in all directions.
The three people in the Statue of Liberty can only watch in awe as multi-story city buildings are devastated in seconds. Their home, along with the small furniture store that was George's place of work, is reduced to dust in a split second. As the blast wave continues to travel outward, and ever closer, George shouts out over the din of destruction. “RUN!” Holding Lisa’s and Johnny's hands he leads the way, flying down the steps. Faster and faster he runs as the massive shock wave continues to expand outward, enveloping and consuming all in its path.
As if the power of this impact needed to be further demonstrated, a wall of water races up and down the Hudson and East rivers. The Lincoln Tunnel abruptly collapses in on itself. Massive bubbles rise momentarily to the surface, only to be swept down river along with the cache of those who sought refuge inside. Their deaths are mercifully quick. Forty blocks out, windows are blown in one side of buildings and out the other. These buildings then collapse, leaving large piles of debris, as the blast wave continues its deadly outward motion. The Hudson Tunnel fares no better than the Lincoln, as it, too, is smashed apart, adding its contents to the ever-growing wave of debris.
George looks back to Lisa as the realization hits him that the water between them and the impact may not save them. He falters and slows, as he now realizes why no one came out here to the statue. Quietly, he can't help but mouth the words. “We are trapped; I have just killed my family.” He shudders as the thought stays with him.
Fifty blocks out, buildings sag into each other before they also succumb to the energies released by the impact. Smaller explosions can be seen and heard. Gas lines and fuel tanks explode, adding their brief fiery moments to the cataclysm. Some of these fires extinguish themselves, yet many others continue to rage, burning everything that is not already destroyed. Smoke from the many fires swirls upward into the air, adding to the haze created by the asteroid’s impact.
George slows his futile running. He looks back again at Lisa as she mouths either silently or not, he can't tell over the horrendous din. “I love you darling.” He completely stops his suicidal flight and, picking up their son, holds both close to him. Tears fall freely down his face as he prepares for the end.
The impact to the statue is staggering. A massive blast of suffocating hot dust blows down the stairway. Seconds later, a powerful wave of debris filled water smashes into the pedestal. The tower groans under the tremendous onslaught, its iron framework sorely tested, it starts to lean, to fall. The torch once held high in the sky succumbs, and crashes to the ground below.
Sixty blocks out finds some buildings surviving with only the windows facing the maelstrom being blown in. Those curious enough to want to watch the spectacle, are shredded to grisly pieces where they stand.
Four miles away, the effects are felt as an odd breeze that stops as quickly as it starts. There is a strange smell to the air upon its passing. Onlookers from far away can only stare incomprehensibly at the destruction before them. There is no easy way of getting to the fires or the damaged areas. Every bridge and tunnel has either been destroyed, or is in such a damaged state that its integrity is questionable. As the dust starts to settle it becomes quite apparent that Manhattan is once again an island.
The pedestal around the still standing, but now leaning, Statue of Liberty is littered with debris. Reaching the base, George leads Lisa and Johnny, as they carefully pick their way out. They climb up and over the debris left behind. Dazed but alive, George looks across at what was until moments ago, Manhattan.
Johnny looks up at his parents and starts to cry, “I want to go home.” George and Lisa gaze toward the devastation with a numbness that only a holocaust survivor could relate to. They wonder what will happen next. They also want to go home, but it is gone, as is the rest of their neighborhood, it is just gone. George knows he should feel anger or sadness at the calamity, but he is in too much shock to feel anything but numbness. His father, along with every other relative, friend, and neighbor that stayed behind is most certainly dead. They had tried to convince him that it was madness, wanting to watch the light show from the Statue of Liberty. Looking at Lisa, he is ever so grateful that her family lives in Europe. She looks across at the destruction and starts to sob as the magnitude of the situation sinks in. George hugs his sobbing son and wife as a single tear rolls down his right cheek. He quietly wonders what is to become of them, all of them, as he gazes upward.
Location:
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD)
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado Springs, Colorado
“Mr. President, with all due respect, sir, this is not the safest place for you right now.” General Walker is genuinely concerned with the President being at the mountain complex.
“General, our scientists said this facility is not a target, and even if it were, it’s doubtful that an impact could harm us. Besides do you know of any place better suited?” He raises his eyebrows at the question.
“Very well, Mr. President. Your staff is assembled in the main meeting room.”
The two men walk into a room that resembles a classroom gone wild. People are literally shouting at each other, throwing crumpled paper notes and accusations alike.
General Walker, in an effort to restore decorum, shouts loudly, “Ladies and gentlemen, the President.” The room quickly settles down.
The President of the United States, arguably the most powerful man in the world, now hunkers down in an underground facility. He almost smiles at the irony of the situation. Using that authority, he starts asking questions. “What do we have in regard to communications?” Pausing, he looks up and down the rows of people, awaiting an answer.
A military man in his mid-forties, covered in medals and ribbons, glances around, and then reluctantly speaks up. He is not used to addressing the President of the United States. “Mr. President, as expected, satellite communications are down, or spotty, at best. Many ground relays are not reporting in and are presumed lost. We do have reports that Manhattan is the only US city hit; thus, our infrastructure nationwide is, for the most part, intact. We have ground based communications nationwide, possibly worldwide, if impacts have been confined to areas previously plotted. There are still some satellites in orbit, but for how long, we do not know.”
“Very well.” continues the President, “What about our military assets?”
Another older, medal laden man speaks up. “Well, Mr. President, we either used or lost, our land based nukes. Our Trident submarine fleet has been ordered to run deep and silent, they await further instructions. Yuma and Miramar were both hit, effectively eliminating these airstrips. Neither site is repairable in the foreseeable future; however, all air assets at these facilities had been moved and spread out among smaller airfields. Our carrier-based fleets are returning at full speed, or are already in place to provide air cover. Most of our ground forces are currently stationed overseas, with little possibility of recalling them in time to be effective. I am not even sure what they could do in this situation in any case, Sir.”
“Have they,” The President points upward, “responded to communication attempts?”
A man nearby shakes his head slowly from side to side. “No, sir, not a thing.”
“What about the other nations? We know St. Petersburg in Russia was also hit, any others?”
“Sir, to the best of our knowledge these have been the only major cities hit. Some areas have suffered damage due to a few of the nuclear blasts being a little closer than desired. As
for the ground strikes themselves, we seem to have been the last continent hit by these asteroids. It looks to be all over for now, Sir.”
“So...” says the President, “all we can do is wait and see what it is they want. In the meantime, contact the mayor of New York City and find out what they need, and get it to them via ground transport. Also, get National Guard units to these other damaged areas and get them repaired as quickly as possible.”
The President looks around the room, and with grim determination, states. “We must be prepared for whatever comes next, people. It is still their move.” Again, he motions a finger upward as he involuntarily glances to the ceiling overhead.
Chapter Four - Contact
Location:
Times Square
New York
A few brave reporters gather in New York City. Though numbed by the recent events, and armed with limited information, they do what they do best; report.
“What we now know to be a fleet of space faring vessels has made orbit above our planet. Where they are from and what they want, is not known at this time.”
Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles) Page 6
