I stood and watched the spaceships descend, and I felt fear. They launched their fire-laden destruction. I ran. When I could run no more I turned to see the city ablaze.
Burn.
Burn.
Burn.
***
I drove on the edge of control, the motorbike careering across the charred countryside. A stopwatch ticked down. We had nothing to lose. Thirty. Distance eighty seven miles. Over the crest of a hill. Twenty. Checked my compass, sheltered. Ten. I curled into a ball. Zero. The explosion ripped past me like a rabid pack of animals. Frightening power.
When I finally opened my eyes I saw the mushroom cloud hanging huge over the city. Everything was decimated.
***
Walking through the once city, I saw wreckage of their ships. And their bodies. Grizzly remains. I saw the remnants of a woman holding her baby. I vomited. Sad triumph. I felt no elation. We thought we had nothing to lose, but others had lost. Not me. Not me yet. Not me.
***
Their spaceships left to cheers, giving up on us, and our planet. Unprepared for the psychotic behaviour of the indigenous species. Not prepared to take the losses. Not prepared to suffer the radiation sickness.
Abort. Abort. Abort.
***
Slowly I disassembled a spaceship’s engine, desperately trying to understand it. I flinched as another rocket roared into the sky. I watched it rise until it was a small speck. Another one had made it. Another handful of humans fleeing the chaos, rising above the radiation.
Then what? No thought beyond the day. Instinctive survival. Mass exodus into orbit.
I turned back to the alien machinery. To my plan. My hope.
James Bloomer has a PhD in particle physics (he worked at CERN) and has probably forgotten more physics than most people ever learn. He writes software for a living, Science Fiction for his sanity and runs the SF blog Big Dumb Object.
Did you like this story?
A new and interesting story is posted every day.
A new and interesting story is posted every day.
Subscribe to the RSS Feed! (what is rss)
Don’t miss another story! Subscribe to Every Day Fiction via RSS.- Share on Facebook
Rate this story
13 Responses to “THE PATHS YOU WOULD WALK • by James Bloomer”
Comments
« THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD • by Robert Swartwood | Home | FIXED AND DILATED • by Alison Bullock »
March 18th, 2008 at 2:52 am
Wow there boy – gory! But that’s psychotic behaviour of the indigenous species all over that is!!
March 18th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Psychotic behaviour – yep – sounds like us
Hope he got away. Oonah
March 18th, 2008 at 4:07 am
If I were you I’d stick to the particle physics.
March 18th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Was that comment intended to be anything other than an attempt to make the author feel bad, or provoke a hypothetical internet laugh at the author’s expense? Criticism is fine — good, even. But a snide comment is not legitimate criticism. (I’m applying my cardinal rule of internet communications here: “Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say to the person’s face.” I’d like to say more, but that rule holds me back.)
March 18th, 2008 at 8:46 am
I enjoyed this. There’s a lot of story packed into very little space. I love the image at the end, of mankind fleeing the planet to an unknown and scary future. I could easily see this expanded into a larger work.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:01 am
I think this would make an excellent opening chapter of a novella. I especially like the title.
March 18th, 2008 at 9:40 am
This is a very good story. Every word is carefully chosen to move the story along in a clear, decisive manner: no excess.The last paragraph: “I turned back to the alien machine …” There is eternal hope here.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:01 am
I agree with everything you said. Hope always remains against all odds.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Exciting. Fast. Very good. Yes, it could make a great novel. Film? Who knows.
March 19th, 2008 at 7:17 am
Good story. I could picture the action movie in my head. I hope he got away…
March 19th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
This is could be a good part of a story, but as something for here, there just isn’t enough for me, sorry. Needs more about the character to stand up as a story in its own right.
March 29th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Interesting. I liked it.
April 8th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
[...] The Paths You Would Walk [...]