GOOD AND BAD TIDINGS

With much anticipation… The world watched as the over ten Hypersonic ICBM missiles moved in sync towards the asteriod. Those few seconds felt like an eternity to the children of men whose hearts were beating erratically from wherever they were watching.

Those with weak hearts or heart problems could not take it anymore. Many collapsed there and then from the palpable tension over in the air. The lucky few had loved ones to rush to give them first aid, while the majority, were ignored until the fate of mankind on planet Earth was decided for the good or bad.

As the saying goes, "Nothing in this world lasts forever". The zero-second mark was reached and the ICBM missiles connected with their target.

BBBBBBOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

There was a massive and fiery explosion in the skies before the coverage was cut off due to the enormous force of the nuclear blast knocking off some satellites.

The screens all over the world flickered with white grainy images before being replaced by a preset AI message. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have just observed the launch of Earth's strategic nuclear missiles targeting asteroid 82031 Doom, commonly referred to as Apocalypse2.

Regrettably, the impact has disrupted our satellite communications, resulting in a temporary loss of signal. Please stand by as we work to restore the connection. We will provide further updates on the strike's outcome shortly. Stay tuned." The calm and measured update from the AI News Anchor did little to allay the fears of the inhabitants of Earth.

The fear of the unknown which had been pushed under the carpet by those who believed in the power of science, logical scientific explanation, and the tangible steps taken by the World Government to avert this crisis started bearing its ugly head.

Within these few seconds when there was no live transmission. Millions of people began imagining the worst-case scenario. Social media which had been somewhat muted started blazing with worst-case conspiracy theories.

Headlines cropped up such as:

WORLD GOVERNMENT FAILS HUMANITY

HYPERSUPERSONIC EXTINCTION STRIKE

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE DYING OF THE ASTERIOD STRIKE

BYE BYE HUMANITY

END OF THE HUMAN ERROR

ROCK OF DEATH STRIKES EARTH

WHAT DO WE SAY TO EXTINCTION

There had never been such a tense moment as now in all the recorded history of mankind. The air everyone breathed in, was thick with it. Like gravity, it weighed down heavily on the minds and bodies of all inhabiting the space known as Earth.

Some weakwilled individuals with guns blew their heads off, this uncertainty was too much for them to handle.

The officials and scientists at the World Government responsible for streaming the event rushed to restore the live coverage and update the panicked earthlings on the state of the asteriod.

Seconds turned to minutes, as the world watched and waited. The grainy screen persisted for a while before being replaced by the emblem of the World Government (blue background with the globe in the center and three olive branches surrounding the globe – it was adapted from the now defunct United Nations flag). This was a symbol of supreme authority recognized by all, now etched with an aura of somber gravity. This meant that the President of the World Government was about to address the world.

It wasn't long before the dignified, mature-looking man known to all as President appeared on everyone's screen. His weary green eyes had a solemn expression. Without wasting time, he dived into the issue at hand.

"Citizens of Earth, I come before you with Good and Bad tidings." His deep voice resonated in the shelters and every location where people were watching from. The fact that he said that there was some good news, lifted the hearts of those who believed in him, as for those who distrusted the politicians of the World Government and particularly the current President, they didn't rush to conclusions until they heard the whole story.

"I will start with the good tidings. In coordination with the Strategic Military Command from the various continents. We were able to launch several Missiles toward the asteriod when it crossed into our planet's upper atmosphere.

The strikes were successful!" The excitement in President Pablo Barucuda's voice was contagious.

The people of planet Earth watching the broadcast broke out in an uproar of joy, shouting and hugging anyone close to them. At the mention of the strike being successful. All the tension, fear, anxiety, stress, and depression that had been weighing down on many started deflating like a punctured balloon.

 President Pablo Barucuda did not wait for the world to finish their celebration, he continued with his speech. "With absolute confidence, I can categorically say …" he paused a bit, killing the listeners with suspense. "I am pleased to announce that the asteroid, Apcalypse2, no longer poses an extinction-level threat to humanity. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our coordinated global defense, the asteroid has been shattered into thousands of fragments. As I speak, these fragments are burning up in the atmosphere during their descent. The vast majority will disintegrate entirely before they can reach the ground." He stopped and took a deep breath. He watched the unseen viewers as he thought of the best way to break the other part of the news.

"My fellow citizens of Earth, I stand before you today to share challenging news. Our latest assessments indicate that not all of the asteroid fragments will disintegrate upon entering our atmosphere. We now anticipate that multiple fragments will impact the Indian Ocean within the next thirty minutes, triggering potentially devastating tsunamis and hurricanes across the region.

Regrettably, I must also inform you that a significant fragment is expected to strike near Lake Victoria, within the East African Federation. In light of this, I urge all those in the vicinity to seek immediate shelter.

Rest assured, the World Government is mobilizing teams to assist in the affected areas. They will be on the ground within hours, offering support and aid to those in need. We stand united in the face of this adversity, and together, we will overcome these challenges." He raised his glass and sipped some water.

 ------- AUTHOR NOTES ------

Apologies, dear readers, for my vanishing act over the past year.

Rest assured, I didn't drop the story—life just threw a few curveballs that knocked me off track. But hey, I'm back and ready to dive in again.

I'll be updating the story whenever I can, but let's just say I'm keeping it spontaneous for now. Whether the story unfolds at a snail's pace or in a whirlwind, it all depends on when I can sneak in some writing time. Stay tuned!