Jennifer asks, “Would you like cream or sugar?”
I kid, “You have a programmed intelligence. So why even bother asking?”
Jennifer adds, “I know you like it with sugar or I wouldn’t be asking.”
This android still confuses me but I’ve got no time now. An old college buddy and I made plans to meet for tennis in fifteen minutes.
Maybe you know Alan Fitz. I met him when he was doing his post doc in America. I hadn’t seen him for a while and I was looking forward to beating his butt in a good old tennis match.
Alan came running out of his Tesla model 5 with his wife in the car. “We’ve got something important to talk about.” He is the leading expert in the field of Astrophysics so when he says something is important I take notice. I told Jenny to take care of things while I was gone. Alan said to bring her with.
The next thing I knew we were in front of my mom’s house. Alan said, “Give this box to your mom and tell her you love her.”
My mom was happy to see me and the box of flowers. She opened the box and smiled, “What are these for?”
I answered, “I don’t know, but I love you.” I gave her a hug and was back in the Telsa with Alan and Jennifer. We stopped at an abandoned Toys "R" Us parking lot in Bedford Park.
Alan opened the trunk and gave Jenny and I both helmets and Gor Tex suits. I asked what we are going to do with these. Alan explained, “There is not much time. The less you know the better. In only 3 and a half days a meteor is going to hit the earth and there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop it. Since you are my best friend from college I’m taking you and Jenny and my wife and getting off this planet.”
I said, “Wait I just upvoted this post and my payout is not until 3 1/2 days.”
“Forget the payout. There isn’t going to be anything left on earth.”
Taken with my camera just hours before this post.
I begged for one day to right the wrongs I made in this lifetime. He said he will give me exactly 24 hours but if I breathe a word of this to anybody he will go ahead on the rocket without me. He warned that if we notified the press there would be world-wide panic and I would be martyred for doomsaying.
I kept my part of the bargain. I didn’t tell anyone not even my own mom. I visited my father’s grave and as if expected some answer I shouted,
“I KNOW
IT WASN’T YOUR FAULT.
WE ALL HAVE TO DIE
SOMETIME.”
I ordered my last hoagie
but had no appetite.
I said, “Hey Alan. Do you remember that homeless shelter on Canal street?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s have a feast there.”
We ordered a thousand hoagies and drinks for everyone. Soon there was a party. We were jamming. Alan called some friends he knew from Surfdog records. We were singing “I’m leaving on a Jetplane” with this group “Slightly Stoopid” and a thousand homeless guys. I started to cry. How could I keep a lie? Alan gave me a nudge and said it’s time to go.
We got into the shuttle and were headed toward a planet unknown. As we passed the moon I looked out the window and wondered.
I asked Alex, “Where is that meteor?”
“Oh that thing? There was no way to get you on this rocket except to make up a stupid story like that."
What a lame friend. I should have expected that from Alan the Astrophysicist with an apocalyptic sense of humor.
This story was written in response to @dreemit‘s prompt:
You have just been told by a source you trust implicitly that a meteor is going to take out life on earth; there is nothing that can be done to stop it, and they have no intention of alerting the public. You have four days until impact/game over. What would you do with your time?
Cover photo img source
From @mineopoly
mining the heart
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