9 January 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2612: The Absolute Worst Case Scenario
This post was inspired by today's 5-minute writing prompt in the Freewriters Community - 9 January 2025, @mariannewest's Freewrite Writing Prompt Day 2612: the worst result
Enjoy !
Image by Mikko Koivuneva from Pixabay
Professor Jenkins smiled happily as he addressed his assembled interns.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have good new and bad news. The good news is that Betelgeuse has brightened again after dimming for the last few years. This means lots more time for observation. The bad news is that we won't have a supernova in our lifetimes at a distance of around 500 light years. Close enough to be interesting but far enough to be safe, and it's a type unlikely to produce a gamma ray burst."
That was the point where Professor Jenkins' colleague, Professor Rattrick, burst into the room.
Without preamble or ceremony, he waved a sheaf of computer printouts at his colleague and blurted out.
"Jenkins, I've just finished the analysis on the observations of IK Pegasi. It wasn't supposed to go supernova for another billion years or so, but some gravitational disturbance nearby caused the transfer of mass from IK Peg A to IK Peg B to increase to a level where the white dwarf companion couldn't absorb the greater mass and velocity."
"Slow down, slow down," Jenkins said firmly as is friend burbled out information in a rush. "What does it actually mean ?"
"It's the worst result. IK Pegasi B has gone prematurely supernova, and taken it's companion with it. It's only 150 light years away, and there's an 87% chance that Earth is in the direct path of the most powerful gamma ray burst we'll have seen for millions of years. It'll strip away the ozone layers and whichever hemisphere it hits will likely be sterilised."
A bit of classic sci-fi in the vein of Heinlein or Asimov, I like it!
Thank you ! Yep, I can't deny the obvious influence, they're two of my favourite authors 😁
!BBH
It's a great start to a story you could definitely turn that into a full short story.
I like the idea of that.... I might just have to do it !
5-minute freewrites are an awesome way to get a basic idea created (although admittedly I allow myself a couple of extra minutes, to compensate for the arthritis that makes my left hand type too many random characters !), but with just a few minutes you don't get time to really fill in all the nuance of the story or to develop it too far. I think this one definitely has pote3ntial to be turned into something longer....
All of my entries except for the first have been more than five minutes, but typically less than 30. I won't call them short stories, but perhaps story "sketches". I do enjoy the daily prompts though, it's been a good exercise to recultivate the habit of creative of writing.
Big Oof Moment!
"Now what?"
lol, well supernovae hit fast when they hit, so it's just a case of everyone taking shelter as deep as they can and hoping it's enough to absorb the radiation and that there's an atmosphere left when they emerge. Gamma ray bursts are nasty !
!BBH
!PIZZA
Ouch! The prognosis is not good!
The people on the night-time side of the world will be just fine 😁 They might just have a few environmental issues to deal with though, like no ozone layer......
A small problem... lol
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@alonicus(1/5) tipped @zakludick