Welp... Now What?

The Fall Guy

Dr.Henrick Fredrickson stood on the balcony of his two-story house peering out at the night sky with his telescope. He'd been disappointed when the government moved him for his protection, but this view of the sky was almost worth being ripped away from his childhood home.

He'd come out every night for over a month and pointed his telescope at that exact spot, searching for answers to the question on so many minds. With a sigh, Fredrickson stepped away from the telescope and peered out at the night sky with his bare eyes. Once again there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen. Perhaps he'd be able to see more if the observatory hadn't been shut down. Fredrickson used to have hoped that there was a logical reason why the asteroid, Salvadore, that he had first spotted ten years ago suddenly vanished a mere minutes before impact, but he was no longer convinced.

Perhaps it truly was an act of God he thought to himself as he took a seat on the rocking chair on the balcony, taking in the cool night breeze. He'd never been a man of faith, but he'd also never been faced with a phenomenon that his beloved science could not explain.

Whatever it was that took Salvadore away, he was grateful. If the asteroid had hit he'd no longer be able to spend time with his one true love, the universe.

After rocking on his chair for a few minutes, pondering the absurdity of it all as he looked out at the stars, he checked his watch. It was already 11:30 PM. He'd stayed up far later than he'd planned to. How could he resist on a night like this?

He pushed himself up off the rocking chair and put the cover on his telescope to protect it from the elements. The night was supposed to be cloudless but he could never be too careful. Once the telescope was properly covered he made his way into the house and closed the sliding door. Just before he entered the bathroom to wash up he heard a loud knock on the door.

"Who could that be at this hour?" he whispered to himself. He looked back at his watch, checking that he was correct about the time. Once again the time was a little past 11:30.

After peering down the staircase he opted to ignore the knock. Fredrickson assumed it was likely a beggar or one of those cult fanatics. Both had become a problem in the neighborhood ever since the asteroid had vanished. They would leave if he waited them out.

The second knock was much more aggressive. This caused Fredrickson to go down the stairs and peer out the window. To his shock, several law enforcement agents stood outside wearing heavy-duty bulletproof vests and assault rifles.

The doctor's heart began to pound. They have to be in the wrong place. That was the only explanation that made any sense.

"I'm opening the door now," Fredrickson called out. "I am unarmed," he added, making sure the law enforcement officers would not be spooked.

"Come out slowly with your hands visible," the officers instructed Fredrickson. He did as they asked, slowly opening the door with his free hand open in front of him. Once the door was open one of the law enforcement officers pointed their gun towards him and ordered "Hold your hands up where we can see them."

Dr. Fredrickson, despite being confused, did exactly as he was told. "I'm sorry officers but I believe there's been a mistake here. I'm just a mere astronomer."

"We know exactly who you are, Dr. Henrick Fredrickson." One of the officers stated as he held the doctor's hands behind his back and cuffed him. "You're under federal arrest for provoking fear amongst the public, leading to mass havoc across the nation."

The Dr did not know how to respond. "Excuse me?"

"Your prediction of an extinction-level event led to a mass panic amongst the population," another officer clarified as they pushed him out of the house and towards a transport vehicle.