Hecatomb (Sci-Fi Short Story)

Upon entering the solar system, the suspended animation capsule of Liza opened, at that moment the AI of the ship warned about the entrance to the solar system, immediately a count was started in the whole ship, only 10 minutes were missing to enter the atmosphere of the Earth. Liza had successfully fulfilled her mission, although even her great findings hadn’t been communicated to the Earth due to a failure in the communication system, she anxiously awaited her return to Earth though. She knew she’d be congratulated for being the first human to travel faster at light speed and, therefore, to get so far into the universe.

Even though the time went by slower inside the ship, Liza knew that she traveled beyond a thousand years, and sometimes she even surpassed light speed, so she clearly knew that she would encounter a totally different scenario in Earth because it had already passed two millennia since she began her space journey. Liza was totally worried because she lost communication with Earth halfway, she was clear that, probably, her mission would be seen as a failure, however, the ship was already about to reach the atmosphere.

Upon entering the land, Liza observed through her flight deck a totally discouraging panorama: the clouds were so black that they practically didn’t let one single ray of light pass through them, there it was what seemed to be an atmosphere contaminated where it could be seen in the distance some traces of a civilization in ruins, large buildings and nuclear reactors were in completely ruins.

With great difficulty to find a landing place, the ship managed to reach a totally ruined place, a place that looked like just some traces of once the time there was a metropolis.

Liza, with great surprise generated by the scene so dantesque that she was observing, she decided to go to investigate. She trusted in humans, however, a feeling of fear deep inside her didn’t let her rest, she feared that the worst could’ve happened.

Before leaving the ship, Liza asked the AI of the ship to analyze the atmospheric conditions, the intelligence of the ship after a few minutes said:

"The earth is in an atmospheric condition that is not suitable for known forms of life, a toxic climate is detected and a temperature higher than 150 ° C," The AI of the ship said.

With these results, Liza ended up confirming what she imagined. Now she knew that if there was still a human living on the planet, he or she would most likely be in some underground shelter. Liza put on one of the multiple suits with which the ship was equipped, this was resistant to high temperatures, it was a suit that was thought and made for exposure to cosmic radiation.

Walking through the devastated streets and in total desolation, she found what seemed to be a clue of what could’ve happened on the planet, in front of a couple of meters she could see traces of huge rocks that had a metallic appearance tending to red. Being just a couple of meters from the rock, she thought:

"Apparently, this immense rock about 30 meters high and about 40 meters wide can only come from space. This must be the cause of such magnitude of damage, a rock of this size is enough to wipe out an entire continent and leave the planet submerged in total chaos”

Liza quickly returned to the ship, while flying over the dark skies covered in the darkness of the desolate land, she tried to find a place with better conditions than those found, immediately Liza recalled that before leaving for its destination, the OMS had financed a project called "Ark of the Start", that project had the purpose of positioning more than 400 meters under the surface of the earth to five laboratories, these laboratories had the purpose of harboring everything necessary to colonize a new planet.

Liza had found what was perhaps her ultimate life goal, although she knew that this should be her last alternative. Before that, she had to find out what happened, or in the best of cases where the humans went. To find her answer, she knew where she should go.

Liza introduced into the ship the coordinates of what at the time of her departure was the largest and most known world power, the Chinese Empire. In a matter of seconds, she was flying over Chinese territory. Her ship arrived in what was the largest international space station on the Earth. What she could see through the windows of her cabin was nothing more than another discouraging scenario: everything was totally destroyed with multiple craters in the surroundings, this finding pointed to the earth had been bombed from the outside.

Liza with much more curiosity than before, she put on her suit again and then she prepared herself to come to the surface, this time she was totally willing to investigate what had happened to humanity, although she feared that everything would’ve been destroyed and that one of the Arcs that was 400 meters below this surface has not borne such impacts and then it has finally ceded to collapse.

Walked into some caves within these immense craters over 30 meters deep, she could start to see totally ruined roads that clearly lead to what’d be the remains of what was this place. Liza observed in the distance an elevator, this elevator had a mechanical mode that allowed to lower manually. After several minutes of effort, Liza managed to get down and reach a room that gave way through a large door that led to what seemed to be the Ark.

When Liza arrived at the door, the lights of that place went on, a computer unfolded and said:

"Humanity is immersed in chaos for more than a century, all protocols are already activated. To access, the only thing you need is to check if you are a human, if you pass the test, the system will analyze your organism and then determine if you are infected or if you are not" The AI of the Ark said with a synthetic voice.

"Well, tell me what I have to do"

"To perform the check, you will be asked to place your finger on the panel, in doing so you will receive a puncture that will take samples of your DNA. Please put your finger,” The AI of the Ark replied her.

"It's okay! I'll put my finger on you,” Liza retorted.

By placing her finger, the computer automatically authorized access to the room. Liza walked into the room, immediately the whole complex was lit and the image of what seemed to be one of the old scientists of this place is projected in the air and it said:

"Welcome Liza! More than a century ago humanity detected a beam of gamma rays from the explosion of a super-massive star. That gamma ray impacted on the planet Mars thus completely destroying its core and therefore the planet. Since then, the remains of the red planet have been falling steadily for more than a century, submerging the Earth in total chaos. As a result, the Earth has left its orbit of translation and rotation movement, the Earth has undergone a change in its magnetic poles and it has moved thousands of kilometers further from the moon, completely changing the climate and atmosphere. This planet is not already viable for life, the last humans migrated to the subway, thus moving away from all the chaos, however as a result, in their path they found a virus, apparently of prehistoric origin, this ended up taking them to a state that makes them behave like beasts, their brains were degraded and now they are at the same level of apes' intelligence, they also became faster and stronger. Basically, they are in an unrecognizable and irreversible state”

"Are you saying that I am the only one in this state?" Liza said.

"Yes, indeed you are the only one. Liza, you must leave the earth as soon as possible, we must avoid a possible infection. As you can see, yonder there is a ship that is ready to go into space. The ship contains everything that is necessary to colonize a new planet. It does not really matter if it is man or a woman, the tools to create new life are in that ship. It also contains instructions, so you will know how to use all the genetic material of all the species of Earth to give them a new life"

"Perfect! Just take me to the ship and I will go to outer space. Introduce the coordinates of the target planet of my last mission. This planet has conditions similar to what the Earth had a few centuries ago, that exoplanet will be my destiny"

Liza walked into the ship, immediately the central computer turned on the ship and then introduced the coordinates of the planet. Gates in the roof opened giving space to take off into space.

Here's the link if you want to make your own entry to the

24 hour short-story

contest created by @mctiller.

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