Thomas tightened his grip on the metal pipe, the cold weight firm in his hand. He eased the door open, slow enough that the hinges gave only the faintest creak.
"Are you sure?" The voice was flat and mechanical, coming from a massive 86-inch monitor mounted against the far wall. On the screen, a pulsing symbol flashed in time with each word. The man seated before it didn't answer right away, his eyes fixed on the feed.
Thomas stayed still, holding his breath.
"Argus, the interval seems to be shortening. Earth might not be able to recover this time," the voice continued.
Argus didn't blink. On the display in front of him, a cluster of meteors tumbled through space, glowing faintly as they turned. His long fingers hovered over a panel, then reached toward a large red button in its center.
"Yes. I'm sure," Argus said. "We haven't gotten what we need, and we're running out of time. Earth should take the hit. They'll be finished anyway if the problem isn't resolved."
A slow smile spread across his face, revealing teeth sharper than they should be.
"Send the meteors!!" he shouted, slamming the red button with the heel of his hand.
The monitor's voice replied instantly. "Sending… Expected impact in fifty-nine minutes, Earth time."
The lights flickered once. A low vibration ran through the floor, as if something heavy had just been set in motion.
"Billions of people will die again…" the voice added.
Thomas's stomach tightened. His grip on the pipe slipped, and it clattered to the ground with a loud sound.
CLANG!
Argus's head turned toward the noise. He stood slowly from his seat, the smile still on his face, and for the first time Thomas saw him clearly.
He wasn't human. Dozens of eyes covered his skin, blinking and shifting, all moving in perfect unison to focus on Thomas. His entire body was the same, a living wall of staring eyes.
Thomas stepped back, his heartbeat loud in his ears. "No!"
He tripped over his own foot and dropped hard onto the floor. The eyes followed his every move, unblinking.
Every single one moved at the same time, narrowing and focusing, until it felt like their gaze was pressing down on him.
Thomas gasped.
.
.
.
And woke up sweating at his desk.
"Oh… just a dream." Thomas rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
"What a weird dream. Meteors hitting Earth?" he muttered, almost amused at the thought.
The office floor was empty. Everyone else was still at lunch, as usual. He liked it that way. Eat first, claim the microwave before the queue, then have the rest of the break to himself.
The low hum of the air conditioning filled the silence, broken only by the voice from the wall-mounted TV. The screen flickered slightly, showing a news broadcast.
"Breaking news on HKM News. It has been three days since an impeachment complaint was filed against the Vice President, and we still have not heard from him."
"That's right, partner. The main accusation links him to the Red Hands, a group recently declared a terrorist organization by the President. And now, reports are surfacing that the Red Hands may have ties to a global shadow organization known as the CEU or Consortium. Some believe this group is pursuing nothing less than world domination."
"That is a serious accusation, or one very dramatic conspiracy theory. Why do you think the Vice President is refusing to speak up, partner?"
"Hard to say. But what we do know is his trust rating is at its lowest. Some of the supposed evidence is already making rounds on the internet, and public opinion is turning fast."
"He can try to hide from the media, but he still has to face the Senate. He cannot run from the impeachment process."
One of the anchors stopped mid-sentence and listened to someone off-camera.
"This just in. Multiple government monitoring agencies are confirming that a group of meteors has suddenly appeared and is heading toward Earth. Officials are trying to explain how they got this close without being detected earlier by any of the world's space surveillance systems."
Thomas leaned forward slightly.
"We've been informed that G9 world leaders are holding an online emergency meeting to address the situation. Early reports suggest that missile interception is the most likely response to prevent damage."
Her co-anchor nodded, eyes scanning the teleprompter.
"We are also receiving updates that military forces in several countries are already preparing missile launches. According to the latest brief, there are approximately two hundred meteors of various sizes. The largest will be targeted first. Our own defense department has confirmed it will deploy ICBMs to intercept any that threaten our territory."
On the screen, a few staff members crossed behind the anchors, passing papers to the desk. The anchors stayed focused on the camera, their tone steady but speaking faster than before.
"More information is coming in," the anchor continued.
"We have less than an hour before impact. According to our sources, the G9 meeting has ended with a unanimous vote to authorize the use of ICBMs. Any group, organization, or country attempting to exploit the situation will face consequences led by the G9 coalition. Citizens are advised to follow official safety instructions."
Thomas kept his eyes on the TV.
Outside the office windows, faint sirens cut through the hum of the air conditioning. Thomas turned his head toward the sound.
His phone buzzed on the desk. A government alert lit the screen.
Emergency Alert
Possible meteor fall detected near your area.
Impact Zone: Valor City, District 4
Estimated time: 45 minutes
Stay indoors. Avoid windows. Await official updates.
Dial 116 only for critical help.
- NDMA
The TV carried on without pause.
"Capable countries are preparing their missiles as we speak. Estimated time to launch is fifteen minutes. We have been informed that both Bear and Eagle Nation will fire one hundred missiles each as the first wave, while the remaining G9 members will launch fifteen to twenty missiles each. Our own country, Gaur, will deploy five ICBMs as part of the second wave to target any remaining meteors that may still cause damage."
The anchor's voice stayed even, but the words came faster.
"While officials are confident the situation is under control, citizens are still advised to stay indoors, avoid windows, and pray for a successful interception."
The sirens outside grew louder. Somewhere nearby, a loudspeaker repeated the same warning over and over. This is not a drill. Stay indoors.
From the corner of his eye, Thomas caught the flash of police lights reflecting off a nearby building.
"It almost feels like we are at war," the anchor continued, "but this time, it is Earth versus the meteors."
The feed shifted. "We now go live to Eagle and Bear Nation as they prepare to launch their missiles. We have received information that the first wave will exceed the planned one hundred missiles each. The opening strike is intended to weaken the larger meteors, with the second wave finishing the job. According to Eagle Nation's defense spokesperson, there is no time to study the composition of these meteors. They must be destroyed with brute force."
A countdown appeared on screen.
"Ten… nine… eight… three… two… one… missiles are in the air. Missiles from Bear Nation are also visible, moving toward the targets. Our country's ICBMs are now on their launch pads, ready for the second wave. Based on these launches, officials believe the first wave alone will be enough to destroy the meteors."
From the window, Thomas could see thin white trails stretching upward, arcing away from the horizon.
Minutes passed. The anchors kept talking, but outside there was only stillness. No sound, no visible impact. On the TV, the satellite feed showed silent flashes in the blackness of space. Tiny bursts where missiles met meteors.
The larger meteors cracked apart under multiple hits, breaking into smaller pieces.
Cheers and clapping erupted somewhere else in the building. Thomas guessed the others never went back to their desks after lunch and had been watching the broadcast together.
The live feed now showed drifting smoke where the meteors had been. The cheering didn't stop.
"This just in," the anchor said, her voice more urgent than before.
"Our country's ICBM launch sequence is now underway. Officials confirm that the first wave of international missile strikes was not enough to neutralize all incoming meteors."
Her tone stayed controlled, but her pace quickened. On the screen, the camera zoomed in on the live satellite feed.
The meteors were still moving toward Earth. Smaller than before, yes, but still massive. The initial barrage had shattered the largest ones into many pieces, some still large enough to cause devastating damage on impact.
Thomas pushed himself up from his chair and stepped to the window, glancing between the skyline and the TV.
Thirteen minutes. The ETA flashed in bold letters at the bottom of the screen.
A line of text scrolled beneath it: Anomaly detected. Meteor descent speed reduced upon atmospheric entry.
Outside, a sharp white plume cut through the sky. One of Gaur's missiles had launched. He followed it until it vanished into the clouds.
"I hope they finish the job," he muttered.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!