Nyx (Complete✅)

Chapter 12

   Captain West jolted awake. He was grumpy because he usually didn't get much sleep. A red light on his desk was blinking. He knew that it meant a high priority recorded message from earth was coming in, but high priority or not he needed his sleep.

He clicked on the flashing alert and pushed play on the message. Almost instantly a very loud siren (slightly muffled by static) filled his ears. He turned down the volume, with a very bad migraine setting in.

A faint voice said, "Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?"

The Captain started to worry, usually, messages from earth were stately and well prepared.

The voice continued, "This is Vice President Rose speaking. Earth is in a state of emergency. I was barely able to get through the rubble to record this message." Vice President Rose sounded panic-stricken and his words were hurried and they tumbled over each other. "The core of the planet is erupting." At this, there was a very loud rumble and several earsplitting cracks. "We....no....returning....abort...." The message was very broken up due to the static.

Captain West felt hot dread well up and a hard knot settle down in the pit of his stomach.

The message continued. "Can't...no chance...very slim..." Here the talking stopped and the static cleared up slightly.

The captain could hear a sickening crunch and the Vice President shrieked. Then he heard a very loud rumble and crashing sounds.

The message cut off completely. Nothing but static. The Captain sat in a daze. "No more earth? We're completely on our own?" His dread doubled and he ran to the bathroom.

He retched into the toilet for a few minutes before he regained his composure. "How am I supposed to break the news to everyone?" He thought.

Just then there was a loud knock on the door. "Who is it?" Captain West called.

"Head security officer Carter, sir." Said a muffled voice.

"Come in." Said the captain.

He walked out and saw officer Carter looking at the screen of the desk. The recording was in a loop and when it finished officer Carter remained silent for several minutes. The Captain could see real fear dwelling just behind his eyes.

"Sir does this mean..." Carter's voice faded mid-sentence.

"Yes, Carter. We are completely alone." The Captain said wearily.

Carter just stared at the blank screen. When the message started to repeat again he touched a button and it stopped.

"How are we going to tell them? They'll panic." Carter voiced his worries.

But the Captain just shook his head and looked at the floor. "I haven't the faintest idea." He firmly said.
_____

Beth scratched an itch on her face. It was several seconds before she realized that her alarm was ringing like crazy.

She heaved herself up and slapped the button to turn off her alarm. The clock read 6:00 A.M. and Beth sighed heavily. The new job had her getting up at 6 am and sleeping at 11 pm, on the days she worked after dinner that is.

Despite her slightly sore muscles, Beth hurriedly got dressed, slipped on some shoes, and she was out of the door in 5 minutes.

On the way to her workstation, Liam jumped out from around a corner.

"BOO!" He said, holding his hands out as if to grab her.

Beth let out a startled yelp.

"Don't do that Liam!" She growled.

"What! Aren't you glad to see me?" He jokingly acted like she had stabbed him in the heart but Beth could see real hurt.

"I'm sorry, Liam. I'm just a little sore from all the training." She reassured him.

"Oh, if that's all." Liam rolled his eyes but broke out laughing so she knew he wasn't serious.

Beth chuckled and started walking again. "See you later, Liam." She called over her shoulder.

"Okay, see you later." He called back.

Soon she was sitting down taking a test on how to classify if a plant is poisonous or not.

Liam watched her go, with a slight pang of sadness that she didn't feel the same about what their relationship should be.

He quickly dismissed the feeling and started a brisk walk towards the architecture station. He was already late and every second he was getting later.

He reached the door and walked through. His supervisor, a rather large lady who looked Asian but sounded like she came from Ireland was standing next to his desk tapping her foot and flexing her big hands as if fighting the urge to strangle him. She fixed him with a cold glare.

"Boy, if looks could kill!" He muttered, and louder: "Sorry Ms. Okal. I'll try not to be late again."

She huffed and seeing this as surrender, she stormed off to her own desk and plopped down. She started typing furiously but snapped her head up and looked at Liam. He didn't want to be caught staring at her, so he shifted his gaze down to his desk.

After half an hour, his eyes were sore and his fingers ached from typing. He stretched and cracked each of his knuckles.

The ship's speakers suddenly started blaring a rather unnecessarily loud voice, but it was the Captain's voice, so Liam paid attention.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but in some sort of tragic natural disaster, the Earth appears to have been completely destroyed. I have recorded evidence, and I am getting no response to my inquiries. I wish it wasn't me that had to tell you this horrible news. If you want more information, I'm afraid I can't tell you any more, because I honestly don't know."

As the message ended, Liam was frozen in shock."Carol? Dad? Little Ella?" He silently started a list of all the people he had left behind, but were all apparently, dead. His eyes filled with tears as he remembered his two sisters and father. Through his daze, he vaguely thought he heard someone weeping and another wailing, but he blocked it all out as his tears fell onto the desk and soaked the rim of his shirt.