Terra Preta

Heavens Fall - Part 1

The night sky above Earth was ablaze. A brilliant streak of light, like a celestial serpent, slithered through the atmosphere, fragmenting into thousands of smaller pieces, each shard like a guided missile, aimed to strike the world's largest cities and population centers with chilling precision. Dr. Kael Voss, a leading astrophysicist and key advisor to Earth's planetary defense council, watched the data flooding his screen with growing horror.

His fingers trembled as he scrolled through the satellite imagery and analysis reports. His heart pounded against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the underground bunker. The air thrummed with tension—a metallic tang of fear clung to the back of his throat.

"This is... impossible," Voss stammered, his mind reeling from the implications. He turned to his colleagues, his eyes wide with fear.

"It can't be... an attack?" he muttered, though he knew it wasn't. Every fragment was headed directly toward a key population center, moving as if guided by an unseen hand. London, New York, Tokyo, Beijing—no city of global importance was spared.

The office lights flickered violently, plunging the room into a momentary darkness. A low rumble, like the growl of a monstrous beast, reverberated through the reinforced walls. The ground vibrated beneath his feet, a tremor that seemed to shake the very foundations of the bunker. Military personnel scrambled to their stations, shouting orders into their comms as they tried to make sense of the unfolding catastrophe.

"Report!" A sharp voice cut through the chaos. General Evelyn Walsh, head of the planetary defense council, strode into the room, her face a mask of grim determination. Her sharp eyes scanned the panicked faces of the technicians and scientists.

"General, the comet... it's not natural. It's been broken up, targeted at every major city." he stammered, "we're under attack. It's not a natural phenomenon. It's been fragmented, deliberately targeted at major population centers and critical infrastructure."

"Explain.", Walsh said, her expression hardening.

Voss gestured toward the monitors, where the terrifying trajectory of the comet fragments was displayed in stark detail.

"Each fragment is on a collision course with a major city or a strategic target. They're moving with an accuracy that defies any natural explanation. This is a coordinated assault." Voss said, as her gaze swept across the room, absorbing the chaotic data streams.

"And the casualties?", she asked.

Voss swallowed hard, the enormity of the situation weighing heavily on him. "We're estimating... millions, General. Potentially tens of millions.", he answered.

Walsh's jaw clenched, but her voice remained steady. "I need you to focus on analyzing the data. Find anything that can help us understand what we're dealing with. What do we know so far?", she questioned.

"The comet's composition is unlike anything we've ever encountered," Voss said. "There are trace elements— iridium and an unknown crystalline structure—that suggest artificial fragmentation."

"What are we dealing with here?" General Walsh demanded, urgency sharpening her voice.

Voss ran a hand through his hair, his face pale and drawn. "It's not just what hit us, General, it's how," he said, his voice strained. "This wasn't an accident. This was calculated, precise... It's like they have complete control over those fragments." He looked up, his eyes filled with a chilling realization. "We're dealing with something far beyond our comprehension, General. Something...extraterrestrial."

***

The flickering screens cast an eerie glow on Valen Reyes's face, no battlefield simulation, no war game scenario, could have prepared him for this. It wasn't just the cities. Forests were spontaneously combusting, glaciers were fracturing, and storms were erupting across the globe. The delicate balance of Earth's ecosystem was being ripped apart, and the planet was bleeding chaos.