What if Stories.

Here are some of my complete and incomplete stories.

The beginning of the End.

Beginning on the 27th of November 2008 the earth began experiencing some rather odd atmospheric phenomenon. Clouds began forming all over the planet. Nothing too unusual about that, other than the fact that these clouds were very high-up in the stratosphere and were described by the Scientists observing the phenomena that they were different to regular clouds in that they were, ‘thicker’, yet were allowing the normal amount of light to get through.

As these clouds, that had never been recorded before in human history, seemed to be causing no ill effect to either the weather in general or life on the planet, there was no particular alarm among the scientific population, nor the general public.

Musings from the general public however could not be stemmed. What did the new clouds mean? All sorts of ‘end of the world’ cults stepped-up with their warnings of impending doom. Not that that was unexpected. Was this the result of climate change, global warming, or too many penguin farts? Nobody knew.

Reports from the International Space Station stated that by the 2nd of December 2008 the entire globe was covered by the new clouds. For the first time in recorded history mankind could not see the sun, the moon or the stars from the earth. There were other reports that came from ISS that the general public were not privy to as well.

These reports to both the Russian and American Governments from the astronauts onboard ISS told of strange space phenomenon. Objects could clearly be seen above the cloud layer though they were always too far away to be identified in any informative way. Some of these objects could also be seen further out in space. The two men and one woman crew of the ISS were becoming increasingly uneasy about the situation, as were the high ranking officials that were being continually briefed about the ongoing situation.

What were these objects? Why had the clouds appeared and what was their purpose? The most popular theory going around was that Jesus Christ was going to appear to the world on December the 25th. But it didn’t happen. The wars and rumours of war continued on the earth. Iraq, Afghanistan and the never ending problem of Israel and her neighbours still continued albeit at a slower rate. Combatants on all sides were increasingly spending more and more time staring at the sky. The once blue sky dome of the planet was now a pale gray. Night-time was now very dark with the light of the moon still shining through the cloud layer, but at a diminished intensity.

Although tides and other general weather patterns remained the same and there being no noticeable change in world temperatures there was still a very uneasy feeling among the populace of the earth.

By the 4th of January 2009 people began noticing their pets begin to act strangely. The first to notice something was odd were the owners of goldfish and carp. They began swimming upside-down. Not for long periods. Just every now and then they’d just invert themselves. Pet shop owners were the most astonished as a couple of times every hour the goldfish and carp would all invert themselves at the same time! Other fish didn’t seem to be effected and nobody had an explanation for it.

But that was nothing compared to what was about to happen!

Cats and dogs began to act strangely too. Aggressive dogs began to show fear and stopped barking altogether. Cats wouldn’t sleep; they’d just stare up at the sky and meow quietly as if talking to something. It was the birds however that showed the most worrying of behaviours, both domestic and wild varieties. They were all quiet and still. One bird owner being interviewed on an American TV show broke down in tears saying that this was a sure sign of impending doom.

The President of the United States hadn’t been seen for almost 24 hours and word went out like lightning that he had gone to his underground command bunker. Reporters in Washington demanded the President confirm his location. An hour later he re-appeared in front of the TV cameras to reassure the public. This however may not have been such a good idea. As soon as the President walked into the press briefing room there was an audible gasp from the hardened Washington reporters. The President looked like he had aged ten years. His hair was pure white and it was obvious he’d been crying.

The press were dead quiet, none of the usual fighting to get a question out first and loudest. There was of course a reason why the president looked so traumatised. The previous night he had been in almost constant communication with the International Space Station. The head American astronaut onboard told the President of events in space and above the planet. Events that could not be seen from the surface any more.

More of these objects began arriving. Their size could only be estimated as being approximately two metres across and there were probably about sixty of them in view at any one time from ISS. The other thing was the space noise being picked-up onboard ISS. It was like nothing ever heard before and it sent chills down the spine of the three human onboard. All three broke down in tears, sobbing over what they could hear. When both the US and Russian Presidents saw their astronauts they both knew immediately that things were about to change upon the earth.

All three looked haggard, their hair too had turned white, they were terrified by what they were hearing and witnessing. They were requesting immediate rescue from ISS. They wanted to be back on the planet with their friends and families. Rescue however was out of the question. Neither the Russian rescue rocket or American Space Shuttle could be launched until the cloud cover had gone.

About an hour before the President decided to address the nation the most nerve shattering of events began happening. The crew of ISS began hearing noises on the outside of the Station! Someone or something was on the outside of the Station. All three astronauts left the area of the Station where the cameras for visual communications with earth were set-up, to go and see if they could discover what the origin of the noises were. Not long after screams and panicked shouting could be heard from all three members. The last visual image the Presidents of Russia and US saw was of the female Russian crew member coming back into the communications area, absolute unrestricted horror written all over her face, screaming in Russian that “they have covered all of our viewing ports!”. Then all communications were lost!

In the briefing the President told the world of how communications with ISS had temporarily been lost and for everybody to remain calm. He went on to discuss how despite the strange events nothing on the earth had actually changed and that crops were still growing, rain was still falling where it should be and apart from some odd behaviour from some animals, things in general were actually quite normal. However the President had made preparations in the event of some type of natural disaster or public disorder and had therefore decided to bring several deployed Carrier Battle Groups, Fighter Squadrons and Marine Assault groups back into US waters whilst the general unease continued.

President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev met with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin after severe unrest throughout Russia and both mutually decided that Putin would once again lead the country in this time of uneasiness. The Russian people were pleased with the new development. The familiar steadfast manner of Putin was what was needed to calm the populace.

For the next few days things seemed to calm down a little. Churches, Synagogues and Mosques were packed full. Religious leaders were offering whatever support they could. Fighting between the worlds combatants all but ceased.

New Crop Circles began to appear. This time they appeared to look more simple in design than those of the 1980’s and were much wider spread and nobody was in the mood to suggest they were being faked, it was too bloody obvious that they weren’t. Then, a truly frightening thing happened. Children began reading the Crop Circles. Nothing particularly frightening about that. Other than the fact that all over the world children started saying the exact same thing about the messages in the crops!..........................

Jim and Carol were becoming increasingly concerned about their daughter Emily. All she wanted to do was read crop circles. She was constantly badgering her parents to watch the television for more sightings.

“What do they mean sweetheart?” Asked Jim at his whits end.

Emily smiled meekly “Its not time yet daddy, but the space station had to go. Humans are not allowed to see what’s coming”

“What sweetie, what’s coming?”

That childish grin was still there. Emily was seven years old. What did she know about the ISS? Emily’s mommy was patient but because of the palpable fear that had spread across the United States even her patience was wearing thin. “Tell us baby cakes”

“We can’t tell you yet mommy. But don’t be scared, this is all going to stop tomorrow. The clouds will go back to normal”

Carol was almost thinking of slapping Emily. More out of frustration than anything else. Nothing had really changed upon the earth, and yet everything had.

“OK, bed time now, no more television, come on brush your teeth…………”

“But mommy…………”

“No Emily……….bed!”

With Carol getting her daughter off to bed Jim turned on his laptop to see what he could find. Sure enough there were reports that in some areas the thick cloud was beginning to break up. Jim angrily thrust his hands through his thinning hair. ‘How the fuck could Emily know that from looking at some fucking crop circles!’

Jim didn’t normally speak like that, definitely not out loud and usually never even in his head either. Times he guessed were the cause. Being a God fearing man he’d asked his local Pastor on more than one occasion for some guidance and information. All the Pastor could give were vague Bible passages that Jim surmised could probably be applied to just about anything one wanted.

Carol walked back into the room. “Emily wants a kiss goodnight from her number one daddy, if you don’t mind………” she said with a smile.

“Sure…..” Jim got up. Carol saw what was on the laptop screen.

“Honey, after that I think we should just get ourselves to bed too, forget about all this until morning. Neither of us has to work tomorrow so let’s spend some time with each other”

There was a slight sparkle in Carol’s eyes; Jim hadn’t seen that in a while. He cocked an eyebrow. Carol smiled at the gesture. Jim got the picture and just about broke the land speed record to Emily’s bedroom.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

Saturday morning, the 27^th of October 2010 arrived all too quickly for both Carol and Jim. Their blissful exhausted slumber was torn awake by Emily’s squeals and clapping! As the pair were coming too they could hear Emily tearing down the hallway to their bedroom ending in a gigantic thump as Emily made contact with the locked bedroom door! Carol, in the heat of the moment had let slip in her mind that she’d locked the bedroom door last night and had forgotten to unlock it due to the state that Jim had left her in the previous night!

“Mommy!” Emily screamed, having never before encountered the locked door of her parent’s bedroom.

“Its OK baby, mommy will unlock the door in a second, just let mommy get out of bed, hang on!”

Jim was busy trying to regain consciousness and clean up the lingerie, lube and tissues strewn about the bed and floor as his wife negotiated with their daughter. A smile broke across his face which Carol caught sight of setting her off laughing hysterically. It was quite a night. It had been a while and quite a lot of stress and frustration had been seriously eroded between the pair.

“Mommy what’s so funny?”

“Oh nothing honey, daddy just told a funny joke”

“What was it and why can’t I get in!”

“Hang on………….” Carol couldn’t finish what she was saying; she burst out laughing all over again.

Emily hadn’t heard her parents laughing like that since before all the strange occurrences began. It was nice to hear but she was becoming seriously annoyed at her delay in telling her parents what had happened overnight and was blaring out across the country on every TV station.

Jim rushed over to the curtains and threw them open to get the windows open. The room smelled of sex and like a teenage smoker trying to hopelessly to rid a room of cigarette smoke Jim in a cartoon like manner tried to expel the very specific aroma of sexual heat left in the room out the open windows.

This set Carol off again in hysterical laughter. She hadn’t seen Jim behaving like this for such a long time. The laughter caught in her throat though as soon as she saw what had stopped Jim in his tracks. She strode over to him in absolute disbelief!

The sun! They could see the sun! The clouds had gone! Jim rushed into the on-suite shower as Carol threw on her winter bath robe and unlocked the door. All the evidence of the previous night’s efforts quickly thrown into a draw!

“Come on mommy, come and see!”

Emily’s eyes were as big as saucers. She grabbed her mother’s hand and all but dragged her into the living room to see what was on the television. Carol watched gobsmacked.

Yes the clouds had gone, and so too the International Space Station! The new President Barack Obama was addressing a press conference. Reporters were eager to know what had taken place overnight. But their eagerness to know wasn’t quenched by the President. He simply didn’t know, nobody did. Jim rushed into the room still drying his hair, wrapped in a bath towel “What, what’s happened?”

“The ISS has gone, so too the clouds”

Jim looked down upon his daughter. “Emily, what now, what happens next?”

“Nothing until 2013 daddy, but NASA must stop its space exploration. No more Space Shuttles, no more big rockets with people in them. Robots are OK, but no people”

“OK, what happens in 2013 sweetheart?”

Emily for the first time took on a sad appearance. She looked up at her dad and in the most earnest of voices said “We must be gone from this country daddy. You, me, mommy and my new little brother must leave before the comet comes close.”

Carol interrupted slightly amused, slightly terrified. “What new little brother sweetheart?”

Emily beamed. “Timmy, he’s in your tummy right now mommy!”

“What!” Carol’s hand instinctively reached for her belly. “Really?”

“Yes mommy, he’s a gift from God because he knows you and daddy love each other very much”

Carol somehow knew it was true; she burst into tears and grabbed Jim tightly. Emily joined in on the family hug, excited by the prospect of a little brother. Jim and Carol had been trying since Emily for another child, no luck. After a while they just accepted their fate. They had Emily and they loved her very much.

After a while Jim gently broke free and looked down to Emily. “Where are we to go?”

“Australia.” Emily said deadpan serious.

“What is going to happen here baby?” asked Carol.

“All gone. First meteors from the tail of the comet, small at first then bigger, then a very big one will hit the ocean off New York City, then Yellow Stone will explode and all the volcanoes will erupt at the same time from Alaska all the way down to Chile. The crust will break up and sink into the earth and the sea will reclaim the land. There’ll be nothing left and all the rich people who take shelter deep in the mountains and underground will die there. They think they are so smart building huge underground cities to save themselves and all their gold, but they are building their tombs and don’t even know it. God hates them and everything about them”

“Are things going to get that bad here?”

“Yes daddy. Pastor Paul is confused. He thinks he knows it all but he’s lost and doesn’t even know it”

“Do we know anybody in Australia Jim?”

“Ah………. Yeah, there was this farmer in Southern Australia that I brokered a cattle deal with in 2006. He seemed like a really nice guy……… maybe I could get back in contact with him?” Jim looked back at his daughter. “How many Americans are going to be saved sweetie?”

“Three hundred and seventeen”

“That’s it!”

“That’s it”

Funny thing was it was just them. The three of them, well, four soon enough. Both Jim and Carol had lost their parents to one thing or another over the years. They were both only children. So they could pack-up and go if they wanted to. But did they? There was so much to think about. Carol still had her hands on her belly. She was barley smiling looking down, she began to sway slightly. “Timmy” she whispered softly.

Jim decided then and there that if Timmy was in fact real and in his wife’s womb then he’d do it. He’d pack-up his family and relocate to Australia!