Prague Centre for Astro Surveillance, Czech Republic
For Tomáš Dusek his shift at the PCAS started normally enough. The bank of lights and screens, which monitored the night sky were on stand by. No UFOs had been reported for over two weeks. A meteor shower at the end of September had caused some interest, but that was about it. Tomáš was enjoying a cup of coffee when his phone rang. It was the information desk.
“Tomáš, you might want to check this out. It could be nothing.”
“OK, what is it?”
“An amateur astronomer near Smëcno has phoned to say they’ve spotted something in Cassiopeia. They say it wasn’t there last week. He says it could be an asteroid from how its moving across the night sky.”
“An asteroid! Get out of here!”
“The guy seemed a bit alarmed.”
“OK, OK we’ll check it out.”
30th October, 2012 14:40
NASA Headquarters, Washington D.C, USA
Gerry Hammle had to work on his birthday. That sucked. He wanted to get home to see his little daughter. They were going to order a great big pizza and then go to see a movie.
Gerry’s phone rang. It was a call from main switchboard.
“Hey Gerry, happy birthday bye the way.”
“Thanks Marcie. How goes it?”
“I’ve got a Thomas somebody on the phone from Czechoslovakia, I think you need to take it.”
“It’s either Czech Republic or Slovakia Marcie, anyway put him through.”
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“Hello.”
“Hi, yes this is Tomáš Dusek from PCAS, I’m going to email you some data. I wonder if you could verify it straight away.”
“Why what’s up?”
“I think we’ve got a problem.”
1st November, 2012 03:45
10 Downing Street, London, UK
It’s the early hours. The Prime Minister had a late night preparing his speech in the Commons for the next day. The deficit is bigger than everyone thought. It needed to be handled right or the political fall out could be devastating. He turns over and adjusts his pillow. His red phone rings. The PM feels for his bed side light. Blinking, he sits up with alarm. Only the President of the United States came through on that line.
“Yes?”
“David, sorry to bother you, I know it must be early there.”
“It’s more than early, what’s going on. Is it Syria?”
“I wish it was buddy.”
“Afghanistan?”
“No, no nothing like that. David I’m going to say this slowly, because you need to take it in.”
“OK.. Go on.”
“Our guys at NASA had a call today from some guy who watches the stars in Eastern Europe. An Asteroid is on a collision course with the Earth.”
“Fuck!”
“I know.”
“When’s the ETOI?”
“December 31st. They’re just computing the expected trajectory and impact point now. They’re hoping to get to within 100 miles, but it looks like it’s going to hit somewhere near Ghana from preliminary data.”
“Wow! How are we with Project Epsilon?”
“It’s ready to go theoretically, but we were hoping to test it.”
“Is there time?”
“No. Frankly David, no. It’s going to take every day we have, just to get it in place in time.”
“Well, that puts the economy in perspective. Who else knows?”
“Apart from NASA, just me and you.”
“OK mate, I appreciate the call. How are we going to handle this. Can we keep a lid on it?”
“I don’t see how we can. As it gets closer, more and more of these star gazing guys are going to pick it up.”
“Fuck! This is going to be a shit storm!”
“I’m proposing we have a conference call with Putin and Hollande at nine am your time.”
“OK dude, that will give me chance to brief the cabinet.”
“Yes David, we need to come up with a joint statement and hopefully we can shoot this sucker down before it gets much closer.”
December 9th 2012 10:00
Winchester, UK
Lisa Archer lay on her bed watching Hollyoaks on catch-up. She had slept in and having been down for a big bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, was now enjoying her favourite soap. Her phone had beeped with a text earlier, but she hadn’t bothered to check it out. It was probably her sister reminding her to get their Mum a Christmas Card.
Lisa was prone to forget little things with the ever present responsibility on her shoulders. It wasn’t as if she could complain. She had took the job in the first place and now she was paid for doing nothing. She was on permanent stand by. Lisa was one of the team that has been chosen to man the mission for Project Epsilon. She had trained for two years after doing her masters degree in astro physics. She had been part of an initial volunteer group that was eventually whittled down to two.
During the adverts she leant over to check the text.
“Oh frick… it can’t be!” She said out loud.
It wasn’t meant to happen. The experts had said the odds were 60 million to one, but it had happened… it was happening.
It took her a moment to gather her thoughts and then she phoned ‘Mike.’ Mike was some guy in the Home Office. She knew it wasn’t his real name. He was her contact, should anything kick off. There were some government departments that were so secret not even the Prime Minister knew all about it. They ticked over from day to day, making sure their people were looked after. Lisa had got used to the 24 hour armed guard. They weren’t intrusive and it was nice to have all her shopping delivered. If she wanted to go for a meal though, or buy a new pair of shoes they hung around surreptitiously.
“Hi Mike, I just read the text.”
“Yes, it’s all systems go. We’ve got two weeks to get this thing.”
“Oh freaking shit, that’s mad!”
“The World is relying on you and Brad, Lisa.”
Brad was her team mate. He would fly the probe and Lisa would operate the weapons. They had one chance… she had one chance to take it out. She had practised hundreds of times in the simulator but this would be the real thing.
December 30th 2012 02:00
Project Epsilon HQ, Arizona USA
“Are you ready?” Asked Brad, as Lisa met him at the briefing room.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Lisa, like Brad was in her all in one space suit. She held her helmet under her arm, so her much treasured blonde hair cascaded down to her waist. Brad looked at his sexy colleague, knowing that she might be the last human being he would ever see. Her suit like Brad’s, zipped up the front. Except that hers was playing host to the best pair of breasts Brad had ever seen. Even the shiny, sterile bottom half couldn’t hide her peachy bum cheeks. A slight shiver ran down Brad’s spine. He was about to help save the World, his mind needed to be focused, but Lisa was just so hot!
Brad had shaved the night before. His sideboards were neatly trimmed, shading into his six hours of stubble. Lisa’s eyes roamed over his toned frame, clad as it was in the clingy silver suit.
“OK guys, here’s your brief,” said the stern-faced official, handing them a document of stats and ‘essential information.’
Two more suited officials arrived and took their seats behind the desk in the briefing room.
“Lisa and Brad, the latest information shows that the asteroid will hit 25km west of Dakar, West Africa. After entry it will have a diameter of around 3km. If this hits the Earth there will be a blast zone, which will vaporise anything within a radius of 500km. However, the impact will cause a giant mega tsunami which will create a tidal wave to cross the Atlantic and destroy the entire eastern sea board of the USA. There will be a nuclear winter and catastrophic floods throughout the northern hemisphere. In short, life as we know it will stop at 02:40 hours on December 31st.”
Lisa and Brad sat stony faced. The responsibility upon them was enormous.
“Any questions?” Asked the official.
Lisa and Brad sat in silence. They had been through this in the simulator and in their minds over and over. It had to be second nature. The time for questions was long past.
“Good. OK guys, T minus twenty minutes… and guys.”
Lisa and Brad looked round.
“Be lucky.”
The two astronauts got in position in the pod and strapped themselves in. Brad looked down. Even now, he couldn’t help notice how the belt gripped Lisa’s legs. Hers suit fit her like a glove. As she nestled into her seat, every little curve and nook of her body was highlighted in her shiny all in one.
“This might not be the place or the time to say this,” said Brad.
Lisa turned and looked at her granite-jawed companion.
“You’re one hot fucking lady astronaut!”
“Brad, normally I would give you a slap, but I’ll save it for later.”
“T minus five minutes.” Said the deep American voice on the intercom.
“I’m just saying Lisa.
