I thought that running away would solve everything, that maybe my past would disappear. Only, that’s not how it works; you can’t wish your way out of things. But I can’t go back now, because this is where it all ends. The end of the world.

1 year ago

         It’s a normal, boring day, I thought, as I put on some saggy blue jeans. Mom was making breakfast, Susan was listening to her loud, obnoxious music, and Rusty was eating from his food bowl. I walked down stairs to greet my mom.
“Morning,” I called down.
“Hey Justin, come down here before your eggs get cold.”
         I sat down and stared at my plate, covered in scrambled eggs. There wasn’t much in our house; only some old wood furniture with large splinters sticking out. It was gray outside, as smog filled the air probably from another one.
“Can I go outside real quick, there’s another one out there,” I asked. “It looks about 2 miles south, I think.”
“Finish those eggs first, and be careful,” Mom said, anxiously.
         I chowed down her eggs and cleared the blue plate. As I put on my coat, I realized it had a tear in the pocket. Oh well, I thought, I’ll just have mom patch it up later. Out the door, it was cold outside, and the visibility was as clear as mud. Rain pat-pat-patted on the wooden roof of our house, and soon drenched my hair. I heard the door open and watched Susan come out.
“Is that another one?” She asked.
“Yep, and one of the largest we’ve had by the looks of it.”
         We walked side by side out into the dried corn field. Nothing grew anymore, nothing but sorrow and crushed dreams. As we approached the fire, I noticed faint shadows belonging to a crowd of people around it. I called out to my friend, “How big is it, Shawn?”
“Oh. Hey, Justin. This is the biggest one yet!” Shawn exclaimed.
He was right. The meteorite was enormous. Its diameter was at least 200 feet wide. The crater it left in the field was even more.
“I can’t believe it!” Susan cried. “What if it hit our farm?”
“It’s ok, Susan” I said, rubbing her shoulders. “We’re fine.”
But I knew it wasn’t. If that meteorite had hit a mile closer to our farm, we would have been done for. Just like my Dad.
He was working in the field, when corn used to grow. I was 5, desperately trying to help him scare the crows away with a rattle. He laughed and said,
“Those crows stubborn, huh?”
I sighed in frustration, “They won’t go away!”
He smiled his biggest smile, but it faded away as he looked up to the sky.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Son, go inside, and tell your Ma to put them linens off the rope.”
“But I can get the lin-” I stopped as I looked up. The sky darkened, as if night was in a hurry to take over day. A large black dot was hovering over the corn field. No, I thought, the dot was growing larger. I clung to my Dad’s side, desperate to be saved from this horrid sky. But Dad shoved me away, “RUUN!!”
         Never in my life had I ran so fast. I looked back and saw Dad, desperate to get the baskets of corn. I ran into Mom, and felt a searing pain shoot up my knee as I fell forward. Mom caught me and cried,
“Where is your father?!”
“He went to get the baskets of corn.” I said anxiously.
“WHY?!”
         She got a strong grip on my arm and dragged me home. “What about Dad?”
Tears ran down my face as I looked up. The dot was now a massive rock, a red inferno headed straight for Dad. Mom was crying as she shoved me in the tornado shelter. Susan was already in there, and Rusty was whining next to her.
“Where’s Dad?” she asked, shaking vigorously.
Her response was a weeping mother, and a shock wave that felt as if the world was going to implode.

Shawn shook my shoulders, “Hey, Justin. Did you hear me?”
“W-w-what?”
“I said, did you hear me?!”
I shoved him aside and walked up to the crater. The crowd of people gathered around me, desperate for information because I was the only one there studying astronomy besides Shawn. I couldn’t hear everyone's’ pleas, and the air got stuffy. I backed up,
“Ok y’all, one at a time.”
“Justin, why is dis asteroid so big?” said Mrs. Marshaw.
“Well, this meteorite, is at least 200 feet wide. I don’t know why they keep on getting bigger though.”
More questions were thrown at me, but Shawn saved me.
Holding my arm and pulling me back, he said, “Professor Justin will be interrogated later.”
We laughed nervously when we were a safe distance from the crowd.
“Justin, what if these meteorites do keep growing?”
“I don’t know, Shawn, but we need to get to the city; the scientists there have answers.”
I knew that Shawn and I couldn’t master the whole subject, even with our brains combined. We both studied astronomy, wanting facts about what was going on in our small little farmer-boy worlds. Susan was only a freshman in college, studying on my lap top. Shawn and I, juniors, had been frequently visited by the townsfolk 5 miles down. They demanded answers, ever since the corn stopped growing. That’s how us farmers first got affected by the shock waves the meteorites left. Then the livestock began to die off, and the birds stopped chirping. 
Shawn and I had to get to the city. However, it took a while to get from Goodland, Kansas, to the nation’s capital, and hitch hiking wouldn’t lead us straight to it.
“Let’s go home,” Susan said.
“Agreed, come on Shawn.”
Mother was waiting for us at the front porch.
“What took y’all so long?” She asked.
“Mom, you won’t believe what we just saw.”
We explained to her the massiveness of the meteorite, the crater it left, and how close it was to our farm.
Mom failing an attempt to be hopeful, “Maybe the next meteorite will hit farther, and farther and-”
“There won’t be a next time,” said Shawn through a buttered biscuit. “That’s why we have to go to the city ASAP.”
“Yeah, we have to go Mom. The capitol is our best bet.” Susan added.
“And leave you father behind…” Mom had a dazed look on her face.
Now I was irritated. “Mom, home isn’t a building, it’s where your family is.”
“Enough. I will not hear another word about this. You argue too mu-”
“But Mom, you need to consider what will happen when-”
She stood up, slammed her fist on the table, and walk into the living room.
I was too angry to feel sorry for her. Why did she have to be so stubborn? I stomped up to my room and slouched onto my desk chair.
Susan came up, followed by Shawn.
“Justin, it’s ok.” Susan comforted.
I stared at my blank computer screen, tears dropping on to the keyboard.
“There’s only one solution to this.” Shawn said. “We have to run away.”
“Hey, let’s not fall to desperate measures.” Susan retorted.
“Susan, open your eyes.” My voice was muffled. “Mom won’t cooperate, Shawn’s parents want him to move out- no offense, man- and the capitol has shelters to protect us from the meteorites. This is our only option.”
“But, what about mom? She can’t take care of herself, you know that. She needs company.” Susan sniffed.
“She has the town, and what’s left of Dad.” I looked out to the memorial the town had built for him out in the yard.
“Susan, we can pack up and leave by tomorrow. My parents have stocked upon food and money for when I leave for a job, we have plenty of supplies.” said Shawn.
“And what about transportation?” she questioned.
“My Papa’s old pick-up truck in the garage just needs some tinkering and it’s good to go. There’s plenty of gas for the drive.”

My alarm clock beeped and I sprang up. It was 3 days later, 3:00 in the morning. I got my clothes on, grabbed my laptop, my important files, and headed downstairs. I grimaced at the creaks the steps made as I descended, worrying it would wake up Mom. I took a reasonable amount of food from the pantry, but only the essentials. With my pack, I opened the door, and made a prayer that God would protect Mom, and that we would have safe travels. I closed the door and met Susan at the mailbox.
“Ready?” she asked, with wet cheeks.
I hugged her, and held her by her shoulders. “All set.”
We walked silently through the dead corn and passed the barn. Rusty barked.
“Good bye boy, I’ll miss you,” I said, patting his head.
We gave our farewells to childhood memories and walked up to Shawn in his Papa’s pick-up, hidden between trees.
“Hey guys, I was worried you’d be late.”
Susan got shotgun, and I sat on the bed. It was cold, and by now the smog had lifted. The sky wasn’t capable of being described by words. It was black, but not the black crayon you used mostly as a child. It was surrounded by stars upon stars, and small meteorite showers glittered across space. The wind picked up and I saw the old parlor, general store, and bar as we drove through Goodland. The street lights didn’t work anymore, because we couldn’t afford electricity after the corn and cattle died. I could hear Susan and Shawn exchange few words, but other than that, the only sound was the echo of the truck’s engine. We passed by giant craters, left behind by those nefarious rocks. As dawn grew near, I shivered at the thought of the farm getting hit by a meteorite. No, I told myself, don’t think that.
“Who want’s lunch?”
I woke up to a warm shimmer of sunshine on my skin, and realized we had stopped. I was starving, and remembered I hadn’t thought of eating breakfast.
Shawn was hovering over me, “Here big guy,” he smiled, handing me a sack.
“Thanks.” I opened it to reveal two biscuits, a slice of ham, and an orange.
“Wow, your parents really did stock up,” I said, as I devoured what was a small feast.
Susan was sitting on the roof of the pick-up, chewing an apple, “Hey Justin! You really did sleep for a long time.” She was smiling, and I realized she hadn’t been this happy since Dad was alive.
“How far did we go?” I asked.
“Well, the good news is, we made it out of Kansas. Right now, according to this map, we’re around Lewis County, in Missouri.” Shawn answered.
“We traveled through two states?!” I questioned in disbelief.
“Just about,” Susan smiled.
I noticed the difference in the landscape: more hills, less plains.
“Did you see anybody else driving?”
“No, only one or two hitchhikers along the road.” replied Susan.
Probably because of the meteorites, I thought to myself.

The past few days were long and boring. We slept in the truck at night, on the side of the road; multiple times throughout the day we would have to stop so Shawn and I could rewire the truck when the engine stopped.
As we grew nearer to Maryland, the climate and landscape really changed. It was a lot colder, and we had to keep the engine running at night to keep it from freezing over. There were also a lot more signs of life. Civilization spread like a wildfire. There were many houses, restaurants (my mouth watered at the smells that protruded from them), and many other feature these towns offered. My sister said to avoid large cities, because we would stick out like a sore thumb. Soon, we began to run out of gas, and Shawn had to refill us at gas stations because the tanks in the bed of the truck were now empty.
“Justin,” Shawn said, as we were filling up at a gas station, “we’re so close to Washington DC, and we need a plan to have when we get there.”
He was right. The Pentagon was now the astronomers’ lair because scientists from around the world gathered there to create a theory for the meteorites.
“Ok, I’ve been thinking,” Susan interrupted my thoughts, “how about we submit a theory to Congress. You know, because that’s what people do nowadays. Right? I mean, you get money for it, and some of the most brilliant ones get brought to the Pentagon, where they can be discussed.”
Shawn and I stared at her in awe.
“Hey, I’m studying more than high school,” she defended herself.
“No no no, this is great! Thank you Susan!” Shawn kissed her on the cheek. Susan blushed, “Thanks.”
“Genius.” I smiled, proud of my sister.
As we drove from the gas station, tank full, I said, “So, about this theory...what is it going to be?”
“Well Justin, things like this don’t happen overnight. Like, we’re going to have to visit a meeting about the meteorites, or...just something.” Shawn replied.
As we were all thinking about the current condition our lives were in, we arrived to the capitol. I forgot about everything as I stared in awe of the beautiful memorials. And the white house standing proud and strong for our nation. However, there was a horrid sight. The Washington Monument was nothing but shards of cement. Then I remembered, I heard about this happening on the radio, how tragic it was to watch the monument crumble to the ground after being hit by 30 ft. long meteorite. Shawn remained quiet as we drove on, and I saw a glimpse of a tear rolling down Susan’s cheek.
We found a Motel 6 about 10 miles from the Pentagon, and booked a room. I carried all we had brought inside, and ascended up the stairs. Room 215, room 215...oh, here it is! I triumphantly opened the door, and went inside. It reminded me of home: little furniture, plain walls, and a single window. I held back a tear. We traveled all the way to the capitol. We reached our goal. My thoughts were interrupted by Shawn and Susan closing the door to our room.
“Hey Justin. There’s a free breakfast in the morning,” Susan said. “And we can walk down to the bus stop and visit the Pentagon...well, that is if our plan works.”
“Yeah, I mean, we just have to submit our research and theory. If we had one.” said Shawn.
“Well. I don’t know about you guys,” I checked my watch,” but I’m gonna hit the rack. Big day tomorrow.”
“Ok, good night bro.” yawned Shawn.
“‘Night.” followed Susan.

I woke up, thinking I was still on the farm. Then reality smacked me in the face with a sweaty palm. Standing out of bed, I realized that my clothes were soaked in sweat. The AC said it was 87°!! My throat was parched, and I was ready to have some breakfast.
“Hey Shawn, Susan, time to get up.”
I was answered with grunts. Hungry, I threw the covers off.
“Ok, I’m up. I’m up, geez.” Shawn said.
“What the heck?! It’s 88° in here!!!” exclaimed Susan.
“Yeah, I know. Strange, huh? Let’s get some breakfast to wake us up.”
We got dressed and descended to the lobby. A few other residents were there. I noticed an old group of men discussing politics. I smiled. Of all situations, there was always the elderly discussing politics. Susan and Shawn went to brew some coffee, so I found a table with three seats left; one man took up the last seat. He looked different. The man was wearing a long, gray coat that reached the floor. His face was hidden from his black hat that seemed to suck the life out of the lobby. Stop staring, I told myself.
“Morning.” I said, a bit regretful that I had probably started a discussion with this man. He grunted, and lifted the newspaper he was reading up closer to his face. Curious, I wanted to know what was on the paper.
“Anything on there about the meteorites?” I asked.
His voice was so low, it seemed like a whisper, so I had to lean closer to hear the man. “Everything’s dripping of the topic of those rocks these days. What did you expect?”
“Well, I guess some theories the scientists have created in the Pentagon.” I replied.
“Hmph. I thought that they hadn’t gotten anywhere yet. Especially since all these events have taken place.”
Puzzled, I continued to question the suspicious man. “What events?”
“Haven’t you heard? Rapid temperature changes, larger meteors, expanding meteorite showers, it’s all leading to one fact.”
“And what would that be?”
Suddenly, Susan and Shawn sat down and handed me a cup of coffee. The man looked up, folded his newspaper, and left the table. Shawn gave a confused look, but I chased the man out of the motel exit.
“Wait!! What ‘fact’?”
He turned around so swiftly I almost ran into him. “Don't you get it? Earth's orbit is shrinking. In fact, the whole solar system is.”
I stared at him in awe. “If that continues, then the Earth will hit the Asteroid Belt before it has a chance to collide with the Sun!”
The man smiled and added on, “Exactly! That’s why the meteorites are striking more and more often.”
“And the temperature changes...that’s from the decreased distance from the Sun!” I said excitedly, not for the terrifying facts this man had just shared with me, but because I had made up the same theory 2 months ago on my lap top.
“What’s your name young man?”
“Oh, Justin Schultz. And yours, sir?”
The man took off his hat and put out his hand as a greeting, “I’m Shamblin, Zane Shamblin, but friends call me Pluto.”
As we walked back inside of the motel, and we all introduced ourselves, Pluto, it turns out, is famous astronomer Dr. Zane Shamblin. He had once been a pediatric oncologist, but after he cured cancer, he went on to study astronomy. He was inspired by meteorites that had struck by his hospital, and theorized that Earth’s orbit really was shrinking. This was a genius, a man of wonders, and he was sitting right in front of us.
“So, why are you, you know, here? At this motel?” Shawn asked.
“Yeah, how come?” Susan added.
“Great question. The other scientists and astronomers thought my theory was too horrid, and discarded it. That’s why I left the Pentagon: because no one believed me.”
“We do!” I pointed out.
“Well, that’s great and all, but what would a group of students like you guys do to help me? No offense.”
“That’s ok. But Shawn and I study astronomy.” I answered.
“And?”
“Well, we could research and provide support to you theory. You do have no followers, right?” Susan said.
Dr. Shamblin seemed to be thinking about Susan’s offer. “Justin, your sister is very persuasive. I would be glad to work with you along with your friends at my office in the Pentagon.”
Shawn, Susan, and I all sat there silly with our jaws dropped. I could barely think about shaking the man’s thrust out hand. “We would all be honored, sir.”
Susan was grinning from ear to ear, Shawn and I high-five, and I made a quick thank you to God for helping us get this far.
As we walked out to the parking lot of the motel, holding my laptop, I asked, “How are we going to get to the Pentagon?” It sounded like a dumb question, but Dr. Shamblin answered, “By car of course.” He pointed out to a large black van with tinted windows.
“Oh, ok.”
Inside, there were fresh leather seats, and that new car smell filled the air. Pluto obviously had money to spend. He started the engine, and we drove off towards the Pentagon.
“So, you all ran away, just for answers?”
“Yup, just about.” Susan casually said.
“Well, you guys are the first from Kansas.” Dr. Shamblin replied.
Soon we arrived at the new HQ for astronomers and scientists. The Pentagon’s name was self-explanatory: it was a huge pentagon-shaped building. There were many windows surrounding it, and there were many ways to enter/exit the building.
“Wow.” Shawn said.
“It’s not that compelling when you worked here every day for months.” Dr. Shamblin said to me.
“‘Worked’? What do you mean?” Susan asked curiously.
“Well, when no one trusted me on my theory, I felt alone, that I was working in vain. So, I left. My office is still intact, though.”
“Oh, ok.”
As we all walked inside, I had to take a step back and absorb everything. It was beautiful. The floors were clean and glossy, marble pillars stood strong...I completely forgot about what happened in Kansas.
Pluto smiled, “Pretty good, huh?”
Shawn laughed, “Good doesn’t even begin to cover it!”
Dr. Shamblin lead us up a flight of stairs, and through many halls. I lost track; left, right, right...left? When I was positive we had walked a marathon, Pluto stopped and click a wooden button on the wall. A keyboard, where I was certain nothing was there before, slide out, and our host typed in a code of some sort. Another pad slide out of the wall, revealing a sensor I had only seen about movies. A small, green projected screen wiped over Pluto’s eye. A red light showed, and suddenly the wall split in half. It was like stepping into the future. This office was impossible, yet, I was looking right at it. There were bright, square windows illuminating everything. A main desk was in the middle of the room, with large gadgets and what looked like two computers, along with large books casing parallel to the desk. Tables, chairs, and other furniture were hovering above the floor as if magic were real. Then I observed that the furniture were not hovering over the floor, but had metallic bases.
“The magic of magnetism!” said Shawn, overwhelmed with excitement.
“Precisely.” Dr. Shamblin said.
He sat at his desk and waved his hand to others along the wall.
“Pull up a chair.”
I was very careful with the chair, knowing it would probably take my life savings to payback for, and maybe a few million more. Pluto then touched a clear screen, the one I had thought to be a computer, and it sprang to life. All of the sudden, the room was filled with a low buzzing, and blinds closed the windows by themselves.
Dr. Shamblin must have seen my puzzled look, because he said, “I keep my office very secret. I don’t like others being nosey and stealing credit for my research, so you guys are three of the lucky few.”
Shawn whistled, “You got a nice place here Mr. Pluto.”
“Thanks,” he tapped the computer screen again and many icons flew onto it. He tapped an icon, and the screen lit up with documents. Pluto then scrolled through them until a red document appeared. He tapped one last time and the document opened. It revealed all of his research of his theory. Maps with pin points on them showed the distance between craters left by meteorites. Shock waves were also mapped, along with articles Dr. Shamblin had written.
“You wrote all of these?” Susan asked.
“Yes, I have. But you’ve never seen them before because the government forbids me to publish them. The public can't have this knowledge, or there will be chaos amongst all humanity.”
“I’ve never thought about it like that before…” Shawn said.
I interrupted, “So this research has been sitting here for months, and society can’t read it?! What has Congress been doing then?!”
“Nothing. They sugar coat everything by posting the progress of the lousy shelters used for meteorites. They know the truth. That’s why they are having a ship built for only the scientists, the government, and resources to be sent to outer space.”
No one said a word for minutes. Soon Susan broke the silence. “So what about us?” she looked up hopefully to Pluto.
He sadly looked away, “The end of the world we know it as.”
Shawn stood up, “Can’t we just try to share this knowledge with society? I mean, there are only...how long until the Earth ends?”
“Well, Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, happens to be a dwarf planet. Its orbit was lost due to the gravitational pull from the Sun, and the Solar System’s shrinking orbit as well. Now it is like a pinball, bouncing through and across the asteroid belt, which happens to be the pinball machine. Earth will run into the predicted course of Ceres in 17 days.” he looked at us all, and looked like the grim man I saw at the motel again.
“17 days of chaos in the world, that would actually help a lot.” Susan had a bright face again. How could she be happy about that situation?
“We persuade the President to give his “last speech”. Everyone will be confused of him saying “Bye!”, and then he will tell them at the end how come he’s leaving. They will go crazy! Everyone will want to go on the spaceship they are making, after we broadcast that the government is making spaceship only for them!”
Shawn had the most stupefied look on his face, “And hooow are you going to convince the President to say a “Goodbye speech?!”
“Well, we have Mr. Pluto on our side, right?” she looked up at him.
“Well, I guess...but that still doesn’t say much.” he replied.
“Wait, if somehow we do convince the President, and either way he can’t just leave without explaining, we could create that broadcast. The people would be outraged, and might take over the shuttles.” I added.
“Justin, the President can leave without an explanation, but Susan’s plan might work if by some miracle we could convince the man.” Shawn said.
“Hmmph. I just thought of something,” Pluto said. “What if we hijack the shuttle? That way, the President won’t be able to leave. It would only be a small malfunction, but we could make it look like someone had hijacked it. Then Congress will think they’re being attacked by terrorist, and inform the People and military for support. Everyone has a safety net, and Congress’ is the military and people.” Dr. Shamblin had brought this idea into a whole different scenario.
“How on EARTH will we be able to hijack the space shuttle the government is launching on?” Shawn asked with great skepticism.
“That’s easy, we go to NASA’s HQ, where to shuttle is being launched. The tourists’ visits are being ended this weekend, on Saturday, because of a “machinery malfunction”, which will be the excuse Congress will use. Then you guys, whom will be disguised as tourists, will leave the group once who are close enough to the shuttle’s construction.”
“And what about you?” Susan asked.
“I’ll attract too much attention. I'm famous, remember?”
“And what about finding the space shuttles’ garage? It’s not like you have a map or anything.” Shawn said.
Dr. Shamblin pressed a button on the table, and a silver shelf slid out. He then picked up a blue piece of paper. He held it up and I then realized it was a blue print. Not any ordinary blueprint, but a copy of the NASA HQ! Pluto pointed on a corner on the map. “This is where the shuttle’s garage is: 1,000 feet underground.”
“And how are we supposed to get there?” I questioned.
Pluto showed us a list of security issues in the main part of the garage's foundation. However, security cameras, laser sensors, and many alarms blocked the way to the shuttle. Fortunately, though, the only guards were inexperienced scientists that looked as if they were scared of their own guns. There was a small elevator that led to the shuttle 1,000 feet below the surface, but that was the only access downwards. Plus, the elevator was only located in one spot of the HQ: the authorized personnel halls. It was quite obvious, though, and tourists weren’t allowed.
“You still didn’t answer my question…” Pluto was too busy grabbing a camera and then looked at me.
“Hold still,” he said. A saw a flash of light and then Pluto moved onto Susan.
“Why do you need our pictures?” Shawn asked.
“Just wait.” was Shawn’s answer. Then Pluto seemed to attach the camera to the two computer screens, and began typing furiously. He clicked a few, here and there, untill he smiled and looked at us.
“Here’s how, Justin.”
Small, plastic cards came out of a slit in one of the computers. Pluto showed them to us. They were ID cards with our faces on them.
“WHOA!! You photoshopped those??” Susan exclaimed.
“Keep it down. And yes. In a way, I photoshopped these.” he said plainly.
“I can help you guys apply jobs there now, but I,” he showed us his very own ID, “actually used to work there. It was a good job, but then I moved here, to the Pentagon.”
“So, what is our excuse for having our own ID’s, and yet we don’t work there.”
“Oh no, these are tourists’ ID’s. They are for the last tour, on Friday evening.”
The phone rang and Dr. Shamblin looked as if he were expecting this.
“May you all please duck?”
Before we could reply, he shoved my head down, while Susan and Shawn fearfully did as well.
The computer looked as if it had grown a face, and then I realized it. There was a Facetime. The phone wasn't ringing, the computer was.
“Hey Brad! Nice to see you again.” Pluto said to the screen.
“Pluto! Nice to see you, too. Hey, I got those job applications you sent me; they were a success. Your friends are good to go! But, come to think of it, you’ve never mentioned them...”
“Well, they weren’t always the astronomy type until now, with all of these meteorites. Know what I mean?”
The man named “Brad” seemed to be laughing: “Yeah, I know. Nice seeing you Pluto. I have to go now.”
“Bye Brad, nice seeing you, too. And thanks for your help!”
“Heh. No problem, old friend.”
The friend reunion ended that short. Susan slowly stood up, still not sure if it was safe to stand in view of the computer’s camera.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
“Well, you just got your new jobs: staffs that help monitor the security at NASA. It’s easy to get a highly ranked job now, ever since the shuttle took most of the HQ’s crew. All you have to do is past the astronomy exam, just like how you guys studied, Shawn and Justin.”
“So we are your volunteers for now?” Shawn doubted.
“Yup, just until you guys pass the exam. They can’t just let hobos take jobs there. Knowledge still applies.”
“So do we need to study the exam?” Shawn questioned.
“Of course. The exam is in 5 days. You three were the last to apply for a job at NASA.”
“Great. 5 days.” I complained.
“That should be no problem. We all have studied astronomy.” Susan said.
“Well, you're right Susan. I guess we had better go Pluto.”
“Sounds like a plan guys. I’ll drive y’all back.”

“I can’t believe we have an exam, while the end of the world is in 15 days.” Shawn said. It was 9:00 in the morning,
I put down my toothbrush, “Hey, someone turn the AC on colder. It’s an oven in here.”
Susan grabbed my laptop, “Justin, Pluto’s here. I see his van in the parking lot.”
I spat out the foam in my mouth and rinsed, “Ok, you good to go Shawn?”
“Just about,” he looked at the AC. “Guys, it’s 104° F. We have to do this.”
Everyone walk down to the lobby and outside. It was scorching, and the Sun looked bigger than usual.
“You students ready?” Pluto asked.
“Ready as we’ll ever be.” Susan said.
We drove to the Pentagon, and walked up the heli-pad. Pluto had already called in a helicopter, and it was waiting. The propellers began to spin and soon they were nothing but a blur. I put on the headphones, “GEEZ! IT’S REALLY LOUD!!” I yell at the top of my lungs.
Soon we arrived in Houston, because there was no air traffic. It was 3:00. We hovered over the NASA HQ, which was incredible. The launch pad was enormous, and when we descended towards the ground, it grew even larger. The heli seemed to be floating for a few seconds, but it came in contact with the ground. It was scorching outside, and I thought I was going to melt. We all walked out, and I grabbed my laptop, while Pluto walked up to the c***pit and shook his hand below his neck. The pilot cut the engine, and Pluto joined us as we entered the NASA base. We walked in through the doors, and entered a hall with a plate labeled, “TRAINEE ROOM”. As Pluto held the doors open, Susan, Shawn, and I walked up to a line of 5 or 6 people. They were standing there, looking very anxious.
“What are we in line for? Shawn asked.
Pluto came up from behind him, “To take the exam.”
“And why are these people looking so anxious?” I asked.
Pluto got closer and whispered to us, “Because they haven’t nearly as much knowledge as you 3. Remember, the exam will be easy, like 3rd grade. These guys only want a job.”
The door everyone that was waiting in line for flew open.
“NEXT 10!!”
The people in front of us moved forward, into the doorway. As I counted them, including my party, there were exactly 10. I shrugged and walked in last. There was a brightly lit room inside, with many desks lined up.
“FIRST 2 ROWS!!” an instructor yelled. Shawn and I met eye contact. We saw that there were well over 20 instructors there, all eyeballing us, as well as the others. I took a seat with Shawn on my right and a nervous looking woman on my left. I was about to say hi when another instructor gave us pencils and papers. I looked at Shawn.
“Let’s not have any wandering eyes, young man.” said a woman who looked to be in her forties.
I looked at my paper: “TRAINEE APPLICATION EXAM” it said. I opened it to reveal a blank spot where my name was supposed to be. One instructor called roll call, to make sure everyone was supposed to be here, and those who weren’t, weren’t. Soon they said we had 20 minutes to complete the exam. I saw there were 30 questions, all short answer. I paced myself, and realized how easy the exam was. It was all about the history, basics, and understanding of astronomy! I whipped through the questions like a hot knife through butter. When I finished, my hand aching from writing so fast, I looked up. The clock in the front of the room said 9:57. I had just about 10 minutes left! Also, I was the only one finished as I looked around. Shawn and Susan were both on questions 22 and 23. I saw the instructors gaping at me. I looked down, but my chest was filled with pride. I probably knew the most about astronomy in this room! I organized all my supplies neatly on my desk and an instructor picked it up.

The 10 minutes soon ended, and only 1 person hadn’t finished.
“Please exit through the back door.” someone said. Then, everyone walked out, and I made sure the instructors saw me exit.
“Geez, it was like 3rd grade!” Susan said as we met up with Pluto.
“Yeah, you should have seen Justin! He finished with 10 minutes left!!” Shawn and I high fived.
“Good job. You guys will probably get your uniforms soon,” Dr. Shamblin said, looking at his watch. “Also along with your ID’s.” he smiled.
“Well, all there is to do is wait.”
12 minutes later, all the instructors came out holding 7 uniforms and 7 ID’s. Uh oh, I thought, 3 people didn’t pass the exam. They began to call out names: “Marcus White, Susanna May, George King, Abraham West, Joshua Miller, Bailey Thomas, and Michael Rogers, congratulations for passing the NASA Trainee Exam. You all now have qualified for an occupation here at the NASA HQ.” the instructor said, sounding like a robot.
Shawn, Susan, and I all looked puzzled. We looked at Pluto for answers, but he had his undivided attention on the speaking instructor.
“Susan Schultz, Justin Schultz, and Shawn Wesley, may you all please step forward.” We obeyed, but kind of awkwardly. “You all have achieved the 3 highest grades in the exam, so you earn the highest job for trainees: security guards. Well done, and thank you for sacrifice to work at the NASA HQ.” All the instructors clapped, but silently. We were handed our security ID’s, and black uniforms, compared to the other trainee’s white uniforms.
“May you all walk with me, please.” said a young woman with blonde hair. She had stunning eyes, a hazel gaze that struck me. Shawn moved me forward, “Let’s go.”
The woman led us down to the security office, and opened the door with a few combinations. She held it open for us, as we walked in. There were dozens of computer screens hanging from all sides of the wall in the small gray room. They all showed different areas of the HQ. There was no one else in the room besides us.
“My name is Lucile, but y’all can call me Lucy. I work here, as a security guard.”
I then realized her black uniform.
“Welcome! I’ll be glad to work alongside with you guys. But first, before we allow you to take over the cameras for security, we’ll need to start a few basics of how things work.”
I didn’t concentrate on what Lucy was saying, because I was too entranced in her pulchritude. It was oozing with friendliness, compassion, and confidence.
“Ok guys, do you think you’ve got it?” Susan and Shawn nodded their heads, and I blushed.
“Yeah.”
When we met up the Pluto at the entrance of the HQ, he grinned ear to ear.
“I told you guys I had this covered, didn’t I?” he laughed, as he followed us out.
“You sure did! I can’t believe our luck!” Susan said.
“Security guards? I like the sound of Officer Wesley.” Shawn smiled.
“Yeah, we sure hit the jackpot.” I said, thinking about Lucy.
Then Susan shot down my thoughts like a shotgun on a pigeon.
“You should have seen Justin making googly eyes at Lucy.”
“I know right?! He wa-”
“I did not!” I said, defending myself.
“Ok, ok. Anyways, I knew you guys were going to get this far, and now it’s time for phase 2.”

We found a hotel and booked a room, even with the little luggage we had. It wasn’t much; we only had a few pieces of clothes, my laptop, and money.
Pluto said, “Well, it looks like we have this room all to ourselves.”
“Yeah,” I said, dropping my case. “Let’s talk about what we’re going to do.”
“Well, as you can see, NASA is desperate for new trainees. If you noticed, they gave 3 students security ranks. That’s pretty desperate. However, you guys must disguise yourselves as tourists on the last tourist visit: this Friday evening. What I want to guys to do is to split up in 2 groups. One of y’all will check to see no one is near the elevator when the other two are disguised as tourists. Whoever is caught alone there will have one excuse: both of the other two were on bathroom breaks, which is allowed. Then, once, let’s say, Shawn and Justin reach the elevator, I’ll want you two to take off your disguises and underneath, you’ll be wearing you security uniforms.”
“But why?” Susan interrupted.
“Because the guards and you guys have the same uniform and ID’s. It’s that simple. Then, once you descend, you’ll go through the halls like this-” Dr. Shamblin held up the blueprint of the shuttle’s garage. “And through them, you’ll reach the shuttle. Now, when you do damage to the shuttle, you won’t be touching it. See this hard drive? It carries a bad virus that shuts down the whole system. Plug this into the monitor; it’s a big, black box in the shuttle’s launching room. Then, run out quickly as possible when the virus successfully downloads. I’m counting on you guys to make it out without being seen. Got it?”
“Yes sir.” we all said.
“Sounds like a plan. You’ve got three days.”

My uniform was stiff and scratched my skin as I sat down into my chair. We were at the NASA HQ security department. Susan tested the microphones we all would put in our ears.
“Good to go.” she said, handing them to me and Shawn.
“Thanks Susan. Justin? We have 1 hour left until mission S.J. Hijack is at go!”
I laughed. Shawn was always the funny one, Susan the cheerful one, and I the smart one. But, Shawn was right. 1 hour was left before the tour would begin.
“Are you ready?” I asked, in a more serious tone.
“I guess so.” Shawn said.
“Ok guys, y’all should be going by now.” Susan said, glancing at her watch.
I hugged my sister, and looked back at Shawn. He kissed Susan, and we were off.
“So, let’s go to the main bathroom to change.” Shawn said.
“Agreed.” I lowered my voice, “Hey, Susan, is the main bathroom clear?”
Her voice was scratchy through the mic, “All clear.”
We casually strolled down the halls and into the bathroom. We came out looking like dorky tourists, space T-shirts and all.
“I’m gonna laugh myself silly over those outfits!” Susan giggled.
“Keep it down, Susan.” Shawn rolled his eyes.
In about half an hour there was 30 or so other tourists surrounding us in the entrance. Luckily, our disguises fit right in with everyone else’s. Soon a person wearing the official NASA blue uniform walked up to our tourist group.
“Welcome, guests! We are so glad to have you! I’ll be your host today. I’m Larry Houston, and I’m one of the people you see by the computers that counts down by 10!”
The man seemed like he was talking to a retard.
“Are you all ready to start an adventure?”
“YAAAAA!!” the crowd shouted.
“Alrightey then. Let’s go!”
The tour was the most horrid torture I’ve ever gone through. Every word the man said, I could predict. The history of NASA, what astronomy is, and even ‘does anybody know what the Atlantis is?’ I mean, come on! As me and Shawn walked along with the group, Susan talked into the mic.
“Ok guys, your stop is on the next turn. However, they won’t take you guys there. That’s top secret, remember? Take the corner to the left. It has a restroom where y’all can change.”
“Roger that.” Shawn said.
Susan was right. The man directed us away from the elevator. Instead, he took the opposite hall, and asked, “Does anybody need to go to the restroom?”
Half of the group stopped and walked in the restroom. Me and Shawn got two stalls, and locked the doors shut.
“Stay in here till the others leave.” Shawn said, muttering into the mic.
“Got it.”
We waited for about 10 minutes, sitting on the toilet seats. I could hear the man’s muffled voice outside. “Is that everyone? Then let’s go!”
Soon the echoes of the tourists faded like a mist, and Shawn followed me outside. We now had our security uniforms on, and walked towards the elevator.
Shawn looked nervous. “Hey, stop shaking, or the guards might get suspicious!” I snapped.
“Sorry.” Shawn anxiously said.
When we reached the elevator, two guards approached Shawn and I. One looked pretty ripped, the other a lot shorter, and looked like he couldn’t carry his gun.
“State your business here.” the larger guy said.
Oh God, I thought. Pluto never went over with this one. The elevator was supposed to be clear! Thinking fast, I knew these might be my last words. “We’re here to take over this station. Your quarter has been expired.”
The guard didn’t seem to take any bit of my order. That was until the shorter guy nudged the guard, whispered in his ear, and pointed at my ID.
“Oh, umm, yes sir! Thank you sir!”
They both walked off, looking really nervous.
“What was that all about?!” Shawn exclaimed once the guards were a safe distance away.
I looked at my ID. There wasn’t a “TRAINEE SHULTZ” on there anymore. It now said, “CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER”. I gaped at it.
Susan must have seen me through the camera, because she said, “I wasn’t sure about both of you guys being trainees, so I photo shopped that on your badge, Justin. Sorry if I used your laptop without permission.” she joked.
“Justin, your sister is one heck of a girl.” Shawn smiled.
“Susan, remind me to tell you that you are the best sister an astronomer could ask for.” I said.
Soon our victory was darkened by the grim elevator. It seemed unstable, and dangerous. Shawn and I met eyes, but I just shrugged. We opened the two gates to get inside of the elevator.
“Ladies first.”
Shawn gave me a nervous glance and walked in. There were no lights, so I used a flashlight I found in my uniform pocket to light up the place. Shawn did the same. I found a button that had a down arrow on it, prayed, and pushed it in. Above us, chains began to rattle, there was a jerk, and the elevator descended as graceful as a chicken running with its head chopped off. The descent was long, nerve-racking, and stuffy. The deeper we went, the hotter it got. Soon, sweat fell from our faces as Shawn and I stood there, breathing heavily. When the minutes passed, we finally heard a loud CLANK and the elevator stopped. I opened the gates, and Shawn stepped out first. Down here, it was incredible. The garage seemed to be made out of an old, underground ravine, but as big as the AT&T Stadium. There was massive steel bars lining along the edges of the “garage” and my eyes followed them until they hit the shuttle. Unlike the Columbia, Atlantis, or any other U.S. space shuttle, this one was above anything I’d ever seen. It was a massive, grey shuttle, lined with solar panels on the outer shell. However, I couldn’t see the thick layer of chrome. Shawn shoved me forward, “Come on.”
The launching office was to the right of the shuttle. It looked like a large shack, but I doubted that’s what it was. Another two guards approached us at the office. I just held up my ID and shoved Shawn ahead. The guards didn’t say a word; they just let Shawn and I through. Once we were inside, I closed the door. No one else was in here.
“Ok, let’s do what we need to do and get out of here.” Shawn whispered.
Many computers lined each other, with blank, black screens. The room was dimly lighted, and the chairs were foldables. I found the large monitor, next to the computer farthest from the door. Taking the hard drive out of my pocket, I looked for the USB plug. It was hard to see with the little light we had, but I managed to locate the plug.
“Here it goes.” I said.
Before Shawn or I could rethink this, I plugged in the USB. After a few seconds, nothing happened.
“Let’s get out of here!” Shawn desperately tried to open the door. I pick up an empty folder, and carried it out. The guards saw the folder and nodded. They thought that’s what we came for.
We strutted towards the elevator, and I closed the two gates. Pushing the button, Shawn asked, “Do you think it did anything?”
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
The elevator seemed to shoot up, and we reached the surface in no time. We quickly walked to the security room, where we saw Susan. Only, she wasn’t alone. There were three other guards there. Susan had tape over her mouth, and was strapped to a chair.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” said the shortest guard.
“What’s wrong? And why is my sister strapped up?” I said through gritted teeth. I knew this man. He wasn’t a guard. He worked for Congress, the man I knew since I was a kid. Gray Schultz. My mom’s first husband. Before my mom married my father, this man stole her heart. He used her for our land, took the money, and left. They had no kids, and their marriage lasted for a few months. He stole people’s money through business. He was the reason for millions of starving kids in Africa when he canceled the Africa Food Preserve Charity. Dad didn’t deserve to die. This man did. My face got red, my knuckles white.
“Justin, the pathetic, little farmer boy from Kansas. If only your mom could see you now.” he turned to Shawn. “And who's this?”
I had told Shawn about Gray, but I never thought he’d meet him.
“I knew what you were doing the whole time. Oh, and Pluto?” He then opened a closet. There Pluto was, ropes and all. My blood ran cold. “There’s no way you can win, I always win, farmer boy.”
Before another word came out of his mouth, I exploded in fury. My fists pounded the skinny business man. The guards tried to hold me back, but I was too far ahead of them. Shawn tackled one man off guard, and kicked him in the head. The guard crumpled instantly. My fists were bullets, and eyes fire. The guard I fought was strong, and he pinned me in the jaw. I shoved it off and spat blood out of my mouth. HE MADE ME BLEED? I didn’t spend 15 years lifting hay bales in vain. No one was stopping me. I met the guard's eyes, and kicked him in the shin. Then I head butted like a mule, and bit his arm like a crocodile. He screamed in rage, and picked up the unconscious guard’s gun. He shot at me, and I ducked. Scrambling for Gray, I saw he ran out of the room. Shawn could help Susan and Pluto, but Gray was mine. I ran out the door, and sprinted for him. Everything was a blur. I felt bullets graze my skin, and the hair on my neck stood up. THIS WAS FOR DAD!! I jumped onto Gray like a predator pouncing on his prey. He turned just in time to see my outstretched hands before falling under my weight. I punched left and right, blood flying everywhere. I kicked, screamed, and pounded until hands made me fly up. I was about to attack my approacher, only to find my sister’s face.
“JUSTIN!! Snap out of it!” she cried. It was as if I woke up from a bad dream. I looked at my hands, then at Gray. He didn’t look at all human. Only a crumble of flesh, bone, and blood. I fell to my knees, and my fists fell to the floor. I wept. There was nothing to it. I killed a man, a very important man in Congress.
All of the sudden, I opened my eyes, to find Shawn, Pluto, and Susan all right there. Shawn patted me on the back, “It’s ok Justin, we’re all here for you.”
Pluto smiled, “Justin, you did what was heartfelt, and you might of well have done it.”
I whimpered. “K-k-killing a man isn’t my nature. I ne-ne-never solved with violence.”
I don’t know what happened, but I fell unconscious.

I woke up in bed, and thought I heard Mom sizzle some bacon. When I sat up, sunshine didn’t meet my eyes. Only a bright LED light bulb. Where am I? Looking around, I noticed that this was what a hospital looks like. Only, no nurse sat at my bed. I tried to grab the side of my bed, but I shrieked in pain. My right arm had a bloody bandage wrapped around it. I must have been shot today. Or was it yesterday? I looked around, but no one was here. I metal door slid open, and Shawn came in.
His face was grim until he saw me. “Justin!! I’m so glad you're awake!” he exclaimed.
We had a giant bear hug, but both of us were conscious not to touch my arm.
“What’s today?”
Umm, the 4th.” Shawn said.
“Shawn,” I leaned on his shoulder, “the world ends today.” I was asleep for days. What had happened when I was gone?
“I know.” Shawn interrupted my thoughts.
Before I could say anything else, Susan flew into the room.
“GUYS!! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!”
I didn’t get a hug or welcome, but a rather gentle shove out the door. Then I knew where we were. I had seen these in movies. It was a bomb shelter.
“Wha-”
“Shhhhh!” Susan shushed me.
“Hey Justin. Glad to see you back up and walking.” Pluto whispered.
Everything was going too fast for me to absorb. I was placed onto an old and dusty couch. The TV was on, and Shawn pointed at it.
“Lemme give you a heads while you’ve been gone. When you fell unconscious, I thought you were done for. We had to get you medical attention, but Pluto didn’t have his gear. So we were about to leave when guards upon guards fired at us. Pluto threw me a pistol, and we had to kill those guys. Not a bullet touched us, so your sister’s ok. But when we got in Pluto’s car and were about to drive to the hospital, he turned the radio on. It was about some crazy terrorists trying to blow up the shuttle and kill Gray.”
“But that means-”
“Yes, society knows about the shuttle. Anyways, we were on a crazy police chase. But eventually, we lost the cops, because everyone was defending you! They knew you were the one to have shared this knowledge with them when you attacked Gray. Cars in traffic gave us a free way through and blocked the cops. It was incredible! However, when we got a safe distance, Pluto called his Dad. Retired Colonel Christopher Shamblin reserved us this bomb shelter for protection.”
“Since when were there bomb shelters? And when was ‘reserving a bomb shelter’ a thing” I asked
“Since now. But when we got here, we had to fix you up. Colonel Christopher took over, because he used to be a nurse or something. When you slept for days, we were under here. No one else in the world knows we’re here. But a lot has changed.”
His face was grim again. “The world fell into chaos. They knew the world would end, so they wanted to screw everything up. Cities were destroyed, nations crumbled. People in the center of the world melted alive. The equator is now 189° C. Right now we’re at the Arctic, some where about 2 miles from the North Pole. See that thermometer? It says 76° F. All hope is lost, Justin. ? of the world’s population have died, and there is no way out of here.”
I looked away, and tears filled my eyes. Then I noticed everyone’s face by detail. There were stress marks, wet cheeks, and blank stars. Everyone had given up. The TV showed only wrecked cities, fires, and meteorites crashing into Earth. I stood up, and walked blindly down the hall. No one stopped me. I found a door and opened it. It led outside. I found myself shuffling out, and into mud. The Arctic wasn’t the Arctic. It was an ocean of mud. The sky wasn’t the sky. It was black, and Ceres 1 challenged my gaze. Earth wasn’t Earth. It was death, sorrow, destruction, and crushed dreams. The meteorites took up too much room, so there wasn’t any space for hope.
I thought that running away would solve everything, that maybe my past would disappear. Only, that’s not how it works; you can’t wish your way out of things. But I can’t go back now, because this is where it all ends. The end of the world. It doesn’t end with a bang, but with a whimper. I hope you have someone to share it with, because this is your last moments alive. If you have regrets, plead them. If you have pain, weep it out. There is no end to the universe, only the stars, the planets, and life. I didn’t think I’d live to see this day, or maybe see my own life destroy another. No one wanted this to happen the way it will, but I guess this is it. Goodbye Mom.  Goodbye Dad. Bye Shawn, Susan, Pluto. This is where it all ends. The end of the world.