In the year 2021, a Chinese rocket was falling back to earth in an uncontrolled descent. The rocket weighed more than 20 tons and the force of the impact was powerful enough that it would easily obliterate a large city with a surface reaching an estimate of two thousand square kilometers. Scientists and physicists have studied the trajectory of the rocket and everyone felt despair and helplessness. According to their calculations the rocket would fall on the most populated city in the world.
Tokyo.
Tokyo with a population over thirty million resident was in a grave danger if the rocket hit it. The government tried to evacuate the city but it was useless as the rocket would make contact with the city in less than two days. Chaos was ensuing after these news and the whole city was in uproar. Everyone was trying to escape the city while some were left to stay because they didn't have the means to escape. Air flights were canceled, every boat left the harbor and the roads were blocked by traffics. The only ones that made it out were the rich people and the higher ups who could afford private jets and ships while the rest were unlucky and had to be abandoned.
This is where major countries decided to step in an try to figure out how to solve this problem creating the Tokyo protection corps TPC. First they tried to help with evacuating but it was fruitless as people were in turmoil and chaos and people were rushing towards the planes provided for their escape endangering and sometimes even killing each other to get a seat to safety. Thus the TPC disregarded this approach and where trying to deal with the rocket instead.
Many suggestions were made but none really was practical or feasible leaving everyone in search of a solution.
"Sir, I might have an idea but it's dangerous"
"Agent Edward what is it?" said the commander of the TPC .
"Why don't we hit the rocket with missiles turning it into small debris and …"
"Were you with us when speaking with the other scientists? they said it won't be feasible because the rocket is orbiting so fast that the missiles won't hit. either they miss or explode before even catching up to it and we would need to fire at least four missiles to destroy it " said the commander looking frustrated that Edward didn't come up with a solution.
"I know sir but i never said that we would be hitting the rocket from here"
"Hmm, what are you thinking?" said the commander looking intrigued .
"We hit it from space"
"Huh, how exactly are you planning to do that ?"
"We launch the missiles from another rocket from a close range. the rocket will be circling the opposite direction to that of the falling rocket and we hit it like that"
The commander turned around and yelled
"Gather everyone here. we need to discuss something. NOW"
After one minute, around fifty individual where gather around and after half an hour the commander said
"well it is a good idea but we still have some problems, first we need a rocket. Russia has agreed to provide a rocket of their own but the problem is that the rocket needs some tests so that's an issue. Second, this operation is highly risky because we need someone to control the rocket trajectory when nearing the falling rocket. which brings us to the third problem which is the explosion might be big thus risking the safety of the one in the rocket. aside from that this approach is the one with the highest estimate for success"
"Sir, i volunteer to ride the rocket" said Edward
the commander was flabbergasted he didn't see this coming
"you know the risk of this why would you throw your life like this. you might not make it out"
"Sir, my wife , and my two kids are in Tokyo right now with no way out of it ,they were supposed to have a nice vacation but it turned out to be a nightmare there and i will happily sacrifice my life if it means it would safe theirs"
the room went silent. no one spoke a word, feeling sorry for their colleague .
"but still at least two persons need to ride the rocket. one have to drive it and the other to aim the missile launcher"
the room went silent again , no one wanted to throw away their lives to save strangers .
"ehm, I will volunteer "
every one looked around trying to find the owner of that voice. that's where an old aged man stepped in. His hair was white and his face full of wrinkles. he looked to be around 65 year old.
"mister Walter, are you sure about this"
"it's fine commander, i already lived a long life and made the most of it if my death would save millions then i don't mind."
the room went silent again everyone was contemplating what happened in this half hour.
"alright then, everyone get ready to start this operation quickly we don't have much time left. Edward, mister Walter may i have a word with you two"
the two followed the commander to his desk where they sat down to talk.
"i am grateful for you two to volunteer and really respect you both so I'll do everything in my power to make this operation a success and for you two to return back safely and i will make sure you will be generously rewarded for your acts, now i will leave you both to yourselves if you have some one to call and we will assemble in two hours to start the operation"
After saying that the commander left. Edward turned to mister Walter and excused himself and he went to call his family. he called his wife but she didn't answer so he left a voice message saying how much he loved her and the kids, he told her how much he is going to miss them. He told her about the operation and that there is no way he is going to drop it and he'll do everything to make it a success.
He returned to the commander's office and saw mister Walter have just finished his phone call and he sat down next to him to know each other.
"I'm Edward, 35 year old ,space physicist and astronaut i have two kids and a wife that i'll definitely save"
they sat down introducing themselves and talking about their lives when the commander came to take them to the rocket station. They got dressed in astronaut suits and got inside the shuttle Edward took the role of the driver and Walter the missile aiming role. The rocket would travel automatically until it neared the rocket where Edward would have to drive it himself to make it easy to shoot the missiles and adjust aiming.
The world was following this event with hopeful eyes. the launch of the rocket was broadcasted in the entire world. Tv channels, social media everyone was following this event as it dictated the fate of more than thirty million souls. Hundreds of cameras were trying to capture the face of the pilots who were risking their lives. Some people were gathered three kilometers away from the launch stations looking for the rocket about to depart.
then the countdown started.
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*ring*
Edward's phone rang and it was a call from his wife the station directed the call to the shuttle fearing Edward might bot get the chance to speak with them again.
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the first thing he heard were sobbing and crying sounds from his two kids and his wife. His heart broke that's when he decided to say something
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"Don't cry you guys, I already made up my mind and don't plan on changing it. i'll make sure you make it out no matter what"
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launch
the rocket fired and it started making it's way up towards the space.
his family was still crying so he addressed them again
"Josh, i want you to grow up and protect your sister. you are now the man of the house so you must be strong. study hard, work hard ,and take care of your mother."
"Ava, i want you to support your brother and be loving ,caring for him you must help one another i want you to study hard and make your dream of being a doctor come true"
"Jasmine, i'm sorry for putting you in this situation and i'll make it up for you when i get back. Take care of the kids for me. Love you all"
His call was being broadcasted to the entire viewers of the event as the call was directed from the station where reporters where recording what's happening. Some people who were viewing started shedding some tears and sympathizing with Edward and his family.
while this was going on the two rockets started nearing each other and would be in view in ten minutes. These ten minutes were longer than ten years for every one watching and more than ten decades for the pilots
When the rocket was in view Edward took the driving wheel and started adjusting the rocket according to Walter in order to have the perfect angle to shoot the rocket.
"that's good enough keep it that way i have a clear view" said Walter "thirty seconds to shoot and then go upwards to evade the explosion"
"copy that"
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"press it" said Edward
*thump*
Walter pressed the missile launching button and waited for the explosion. three seconds passed and nothing happened. He pressed it multiple times again and still nothing happened.
"SH*T, the launching mechanism doesn't work" yelled Walter
"What do we do "
"i don't know"
the station was in despair, all of the operation was for nothing if the missiles wouldn't even go off.
The news were all over and people where in confusion how does a missile launcher doesn't launch. they blamed Russia for the rocket that they gave and situation was back to square one.
in the shuttle Edward and Walter were silent they didn't know what to do. the other rocket will pass them in one minutes and then they can't do anything about it. that's when they looked at each other and nodded. If they will go back empty handed than it's better not to come back at all.
Edward grabbed the steering wheel hard and made a turn towards the rocket.
the people in the station were in confusion that monitor showed that the rocket was heading to the other head on. That's when the commander spoke " they are sacrificing themselves" and the room went silent. they didn't know what to say.
back in the shuttle ten seconds were left till the collision
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"Josh, Ava, Jasmine, sorry for this, you must know that i love you all"
*boom* the two rockets collided and Edward's vision went blurry.
"Welcome good soul..."