Asteroid
February 20, 2011 9:27 pm StoriesHe knew it was coming. He saw it trillions of miles away. He had seen it foretold. He knew that’s how it would be. No other option.
Millions of miles away. The future impact any moment now. All calculations were precise. All i’s dotted, all t’s crossed.
But wait, what’s this? Something else? A moment of faith. A brief fraction of a small time segment. That’s all it was. Flushed from memory- but it had happened. Gone as soon as it arrived.
Maybe he wouldn’t crash there. Maybe it wouldn’t go as planned. Maybe it would be different this time somehow.
That brief moment of faith was all he could think about as his systems took over. That one brief moment in time. Just for a moment, he saw a different future. Perhaps, just this once, events wouldn’t unfold as predicted.
Thousands of miles now. Heat being generated in enormous amounts. Flash.
Violence. Projection 100% exact. Crashing. Burning. Just as planned.
You knew it would happen this way. Why did you think otherwise?
Every attempt to fight it will be met with resistance. No use in trying. Your fantasy means nothing. It won’t happen. It’s not in your control. It’s not your decision. It’s better this way. We promise.
Thud.
He was still aware.
He checked his hardware.
He checked his software.
Everything was okay, just as it has been foretold. Just as he had imagined it. He knew that’s how it would be from now on.
He carried on, just as planned. There was never any other option.