space rocks

The phone rings and Doctor Penner rushes to call Professor Jane to Destiny.

“Why is the kid untied?  That kid just let everyone die!  Are you happy now kid?  I hope you burn in…” Jim points towards you and grunts in disgust.

 

“Just a minute, Jim.  You should hear what Charlie has to say.  Your team is wrong.”

 

“No disrespect Scot, I know the kid saved your life.  Well in a way, but I’ve got the world’s smartest people here and they say otherwise.”  He shakes his head disapprovingly and searches for his wife’s face.  Professor Scot  moves into the view of the camera and Professor Scot lifts his hand in the air and hushes Jim.  He opens the tabs and shows the calculations to Jim.

 

“The rock is rotating on an axis but its mass is pulling it South.  It can’t move in the straight line your team predicted.  See here, your calculations are already off by 2 degrees.  By the time the rock passes earth, it will miss our atmosphere by 30 kilometres and almost make a 90 degree turn.”

 

“The debris will move away from us and into the next solar system.  It won’t hit anything,” you say as you with a steady voice.

 

Jim leans forward as if to zoom in on the calculations.  He scratches his head and grabs his mouth in one hand.  Pulling his lip forward, he frowns and looks at you. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?  It’s time to make it public.  But kid, if you ever want to work for me again, you better stop doing calculations in your head.  I’d fire you, slap your head off, and sue you all on the same day.

Get this kid a medal, Moorland.  He saved the Professor’s life.  Also tell the press what is really coming and fix this mess, people are on the verge of going to civil wars in every country.   Maybe also tell the Whitehouse to consider martial law, for the time being.  People will see this thing coming and they won’t believe it’s not going to hit us.”

 

“Uh, ugh, that’s not my jo…”  Moorland moves into the view of the camera and frowns profusely.

 

“Get it done, Moorland.”

 

Moorland vanishes from the screen and Jim waves at you and Professor Scot.  He ends the call and sends through the arrangements for the return trip.

 

On the ISS everyone is calmly preparing for their return journey to earth.  Two shuttles will dock within the next few days to take the team back to earth.

After preparing for the return you go to the cupola to look out at earth.  You can see the ocean and some land masses and recognise South Africa on the bottom side of the globe.

Professor Scot joins you. 

​

“It’s marvellous, isn’t it?  I wanted to thank you for what you did.  Even though I was ready to face God, I don’t think my family was ready to lose me.  I owe you my life, Charlie.  You’re a good kid.”  Professor Scot smiles and places his hand on your shoulder and points towards earth.  “There at the bottom is South Africa, looks like a rain storm is heading to the east coast.”

 

“I, uh, thank you for saying those things.” You search for the clouds he is pointing to.  “Those clouds right there?  Hmm, I miss the rain.”

 

“We’ll be heading back soon, you ready for that Charlie?” 

 

“I know how it is supposed to work, but I guess I am afraid of crash landing.”  You use your hand as a parachute that falls and crashes.

 

“Yeah, it is scary stuff.  I am afraid of that too, but we should never panic, panics makes us stupid.”  He squeezes your arm like a father would and floats away.