FF – Moon-Fall
Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Dale Rogerson. Thanks, Dale!
That brightness in the sky is definitely an explosion, don’t you think?
Copyright Dale Rogerson
Cheers resounded as the sky lit up, the revellers clinking glasses in salute. Members of “Project Assured Destruction”, they had worked long and hard to realise the dream.
Antimatter.
A new source of energy. Or the most devastating weapon ever devised. So devastating, their government had elected to test-fire on the moon.
It would be days before observers noticed the change in the moon’s orbit. Weeks before the first storms hit. Months before the lucky died in blinding, super-heated fire as fragments of the moon impacted. For the remainder – the lingering, painful deaths of a freezing nuclear winter.
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Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 
A scary, believable prospect. Good one, Ali.
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Too believable 😦 I’m glad you liked it!
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😊
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And, as Thomas Edison once said, We now know that idea won’t work. 😉
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At least he didn’t accidentally end all life on Earth 🙂
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No. Even two atomic bombs didn’t damage the whole planet. And it would take a pretty great power to blow up the moon, but you do raise an interesting thought here:
Even an explosion that would damage the moon and stir up a huge dust ball would have how much effect on earth? It wouldn’t have to be man-made, either. What if the moon got hit by a meteorite half its size? How much fall-out would we get?
And now here I am on the trail of sci-fi horror.
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I think we’re okay as long as nothing big hits the Earth (like bits of the moon did in my story). Then the ensuing dust cloud would envelop the planet for long enough to kill all life 😦 Except for the world leaders in their bunkers, of course 🙂
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LOL classic D-man 😀
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Yeah, kablooie 🙂
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Scary, but good (and probably true!)!
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They might be up there right now, prepping the experiment…
I’m glad you liked it!
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Sounds like someone’s estimates were off by, oh, a catastrophic amount! At least nobody will be around to record that person’s failure for history, because there won’t be a history. Great take on the prompt Ali!
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Every cloud has a silver lining! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Man oh man… What an awful scenario!
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Yeah! Sorry I turned your lovely photo into the end of the world 🙂
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Haha!
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When I worked with NASA — a long time ago now — I had to do a very complex paper on what kind of unit they should design to retrieve satellites in space. They felt that anything with fewer than three arms was worthless, but in the end the financial wizards decided on two arms. Which, as they pointed out, didn’t work and as I recall, the astronaut just grabbed the satellite with his arms and pulled it in. So much for so many people writing and editing this monumental study during which time I worked 7-days a week for five weeks. Good overtime money.
But the thing was, we got to talking, my NASA scientist and I. This was 1988 and they already knew there was anti matter. Their issue was how to GET some. I said “Well, what would you do with it?” and he laughed and said “Destroy the world, maybe the universe.” And he wasn’t kidding.
I quit that job. The work began to make my brain do barrel rolls in my head. I had nightmares. Just like this little story.
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Another idea shot down by the bean counters. At least there was a human on station to give it a good kick.
Let’s hope that scientist isn’t now in charge of Project Assured Destruction 😦
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But at least the people of earth got to witness the coolest explosion ever before they all died! And in the name of science!
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I sure that made them feel much better about the whole thing 🙂
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darn, as they say, we see the enemy and it is us.
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Yep 😦
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A chilling prospect!
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For sure!
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Wow very good. I am sure I’ve read that people watched some of the early atomic testing in a similar fashion.
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Yes, from far too close…
I’m glad you enjoyed my story!
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Antimatter, once believed to be a figment of Trekian fiction…now, a reality. A very scary proposition. Good tale weaving this week, D.! 🙂
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It is scary stuff. Losing antimatter containment on the USS Enterprise was certainly considered “bad” 🙂
I’m glad you liked my story!
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I’ll take the quick death, please.
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No worries, you’re second on the “quick death” list after me.
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Phew, thank goodness. 😄
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🙂
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Dear Ali,
As I’ve said before, the photo is whatever you see in it. 😉 Frightening story. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
The first thing I saw was the second Death Star blowing up over Endor 🙂
I’m glad you liked it!
Ali
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Scary story with the uncanny image of photo.
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Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Powerful story, Ali. In other words, ‘don’t mess with the moon’. Good writing. —- Suzanne
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We like the moon just the way it in (in one piece). I’m glad you liked it!
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This is spooky-real. And who would want to ruin the moon? I’m afraid to ask. Very well done.
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I’m sure some see it as an ideal testing ground…
I’m glad you liked my story!
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Yikes! Let’s hope some genius doesn’t go this far. Well written. :o)
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How do we know they’re not up there already… dum dum DUM 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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I expected nothing less than an agonizing death for humanity at your hands. You didn’t disappoint.
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Exploding, burning, starving, freezing, I attempted to cover all the bases.
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What did the moon ever do to them? Serves them right.
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I’m taking you with me, Humanity! Wheeee!
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That was jolly!
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All smiles and optimism this week!
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Holy horror show! They needed a Batman or Superman to toss those shards into a black hole 🙂
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Yeah, they’re never around when you need them!
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Oh the folly of mankind. Good story as usual.
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Never considering the consequences. I’m glad you liked it!
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This is chilling! And scary that I could see it really happening…
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All it would take is a few misguided people not thinking things through 😦
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True 😐
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Scary! It could happen in the future. That is a real possibility. Dangerous these atom bums.
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Ha, yes, scary is the word. I can see it happening too. Everything ends over a miscalculation.
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This is a powerful piece of writing, for it feels as if it could happen.
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Thanks, I see a scenario like this as a real possibility.
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This one was difficult to like. Well done on a nice little dystopian tale this week. That moon’s got a lot to answer for, and the government.
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Damn yooooou, government!
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With unpredictable fingers on the Big Red Button, this could far too easily happen.
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Very true. And who knows when the next test could go out of control?
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That’s sombre and frightening. Well done
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Oh my…..
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😦
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I think this is an end that sound likely in the wake of human folly
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Yeah, I got a bit worried as I wrote it. Sounds far too likely.
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I choose for the Moon, Draliman, she hasn’t done anything to deserve this… Pawkisses for a wonderful Day 🙂 ❤
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Yes, she’s been up there minding her own business for millions of years. Then we come along…
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Yes, that anti-matter is nothing to play around with. Really a horrific scene. This is awesome, Ali! You wrapped it all up and BAM! Super job!
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Thanks! I kinda hope we never manage to make any antimatter, even if it means we’ll never be able to power the Starship Enterprise.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Not a great prospect for the earth – or for the moon, come to that. I’d like to say, thankfully, it’s only a story, but that might just be wishful thinking. Well constructed story.
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I can’t help but think that the moon would be seen as an ideal testing ground for new weapons 😦
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This is scarily plausible. Great story, Ali. 🙂
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I thought so too. Yeek!
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