Impact Event

By Malie Olivier

Earth's population is nearly destroyed by a series of events. Lizzy's father predicts and tries to warn mankind of the impending doom. Lizzy and her family must learn how to survive the event and how to forgive those that caused it. If you enjoy Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction and Romance then you will enjoy this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Malie Olivier
• Release date: Nov 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370261246

Malie Olivier

Malie Olivier is a South African author and an ex-teacher. When she isn't busy writing she does proofreading, editing, translating and typing. She enjoys writing Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction books because the ideas and possibilities are endless.

Book preview

Impact Event

Malie Olivier

Copyright © Malie Olivier

DEDICATED TO

MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY;

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Impact Event

By Malie Olivier

Copyright 2016 Malie Olivier

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, Licence Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite e-book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Epilogue

About Malie Olivier

Other titles by Malie Olivier

Prologue

Far away from Earth in space

Two blue men are looking at a thermal projection of planet Earth. Their spaceship is hovering behind Jupiter. Their ship and crew have been collecting any data on planet Earth that they can get.

Dad, are you positive that we are doing the right thing here? the blue faced alien asks his austere father. Can’t we go and warn them about the dangers of what they are doing to their planet?

Those are the orders I have given my son; they will be carried out. We do not want these people to destroy their planet any further. One day they might even thank us for what we did. Do you really think they will listen to reason? Look at the damage they have caused already! he yells banging his blue fist on the table.

I doubt they will thank us for what we are about to do. If we are really lucky they might not even hate us too much. What we are doing is wrong Dad – we are not even giving them a choice, the son says pleading with his father.

I will not discuss this any further. The strongest will survive; as it should be. You are too emotional about this rescue mission. If you cannot distance yourself from this you should maybe return home, his father says angrily.

No Dad, I want to stay and help them – if they will allow us, he says sadly.

Prepare the weapons in 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1- FIRE! his Dad orders.

His son walks away shaking his head; he keeps on thinking that there should have been another way.

* * *

Chapter 1

Saturday morning 7 October

I open my eyes and stretch out in my comfy bed. I gaze around my lilac bedroom and smile. I love the weekend; sleeping late, reading and spending time with my friends and family. I close my eyes again and enjoy the peace. I move my hands to my sides and pat the bed expecting to feel soft fur but I feel nothing. I wonder where they are. My two best furry friends are missing out on a cuddle. The sun shines on my bed and I feel warm, sleepy and content.

Come Lizzy, get up we are going shopping. We need to stock the basement! my dad yelled up the stairs. The basement – yippee, I can’t wait. Coming Dad, just getting dressed, I yelled back getting out of bed. It’s only 7.00 but I want to go and see where Spock and Chewbacca are. I quickly shower and dress in my comfy jeans and a t-shirt. I leave my long, light brown hair in a towel and put my sneakers on. I put a little make up on and worry about my dad; he has been acting weirder than usual. He is a professor in astrophysics at our local university. Jip, not only is he educated but weird; the typical nutty professor. He started acting this way about two months ago when they spotted an asteroid headed for earth. Since then he has been doing the whole ‘Doomsday Preparation’ in our basement.

Dressed, I head down the stairs and hear my dad explaining once again to my mom why he is so uneasy. I’m telling you Emma, this asteroid just came out of nowhere. It’s not travelling in an orbit and its speed is just too fast. I know they said it is going to land in the Atlantic Ocean; but something is just very odd and I can’t put my finger on in! My mom responds quietly, Martin, I have never doubted you, but you must admit you have been acting very strangely. Let’s speak to the children now before we go shopping. We are all worried about you.

I walk into our cheerful yellow kitchen and my mom and dad are hugging each other. They still adore each other. Morning Mom and Dad, I greet as though I have just come in, where are Kevin and Dan? My mom turns back to the toaster and my dad puts the kettle on. I sit down at the table and I can feel how tense the atmosphere is. Dad looks tired with dark circles under his blue eyes and it seems as though he has aged in the last few months. My mom is worried about him as she keeps on sneaking looks at him. Her brown hair has some grey in and she also had dark shadows under her green eyes. She puts the toast on the table and yells up the stairs, Kevin, Dan, breakfast boys! She sits down and starts buttering some toast. My dad makes coffee for us and then brings it to the table. Thanks dad, I say and smile at him as he sits down. He pats my hand absently and sips his coffee.

My brothers come running down the stairs and then they walk into the kitchen. Who died? Kevin mumbles still half asleep, Why so early? His brown hair is sticking up and he has stubble on his face. Dan my older brother laughs at him saying, Partying again bro? Kevin mumbles something about a test on Monday and drinks his coffee.

I finish up my toast and look at my mom, Have you seen Spock and Chewbacca? They weren’t in my room this morning. Dad looks at me and says, They are in the basement and refuse to come out. I went to check on what we might need in the basement and they followed me in; now they refuse to leave. Martin, my mom says patting his hand, I think you should talk to the children. Explain to us all what has got you so worried.

Dad sighs and rubs his eyes wearily. He then starts with his story. A few months ago we were alerted that an asteroid was on its way to earth. Using the information we received from satellites, telescopes and radar we then tried to plot the orbit, size and speed of this asteroid. We also received valuable data from the Sutherland Observatory which has the SALT (South African Large Telescope.) We needed to know what damage will be caused and where so that people can be warned and evacuate. In any case one of my colleagues from America determined that the asteroid was very small and would in the worst case scenario crash into the South Pole. Everybody else seems to believe his conclusions but I don’t agree. This asteroid is much bigger than he believes, it is moving faster than he predicted and most definitely not in an orbit. It is heading straight for us in South Africa! Now do you see why I am worried? This ‘asteroid’ is not behaving like one!

Dan asked quietly, What do you think it is Dad? You must have some idea otherwise you wouldn’t be so worried. Dad looked at our troubled faces and said quietly, If I tell you what I think it is you might just say I am crazy. If I am proved wrong I will be very happy but if I am right I do not want to take any chances with your safety. I believe that this ‘asteroid’ is unnatural and alien. Martin, what do you want us to do? my mom asked worriedly. When did you predict it would crash and what must we do to make the basement safe?

So this is where I think my parents are seriously losing it. In fact I am almost convinced. Are we being invaded by aliens? I strongly suspect that my dad is overworked and delusional. I mean really! Why would any aliens be interested in earth? It is overcrowded and polluted with hardly any natural resources left! I sneak glances at my brothers; they seem to be buying into this alien scenario which I find so confusing. Even Kevin is wide awake now and looking very worried.

Dad explained, I think it should crash into South Africa by next Saturday – so we have very little time left. Each of you should make a list of what you think we need to survive for a year in the basement. We’ll meet in an hour and get all our shopping done today. If something does happen before then at least we will be prepared. A year Dad, we need to prepare for a year? I asked, How do we even start guessing what we will possibly need? What about Spock and Chewbacca, we can’t just leave them to fend on their own! What about school, varsity, work and friends. Who can we tell about the basement without it seeming crazy? Honey, calm down, my mom said giving me a hug. Go and check on Spock and Chewbacca and come up with a solution. I am going to start making lists of things we will need to survive if the worst happens. See this as an adventure."

My mom and dad are both very intelligent. They are both professors at the local university. Why do I doubt them? My mom is a biochemist so I am sure that she will consider any biohazards. Now I am freaking out and head to the basement to see if Spock and Chewbacca are still there. I walk past the guest toilet and head down the stairs. I switch on the light behind the doorframe and I step into a clean and airy space. Dad recently added shelves to the walls and covered the few small windows that were at the top of the walls with sturdy boards.

Our basement is huge and about 18 metres by 20 metres. There are some loadbearing walls so that the basement is roughly divided into four quarters. There are two ways to get inside; past the guest toilet and down the stairs or past the laundry and pantry and down the stairs. Both these entrances that are on opposite sides of the house have new security gates on them and sturdy doors. At last I see my two furry friends. They are sitting in the middle of the basement and watch me walk in. Spock my Siamese cat and Chewbacca my German shepherd are both about 11 months old and they were my birthday presents when I turned 16. My two best human friends gave them to me and they have been the best of friends since. Chewbacca and Spock adore each other; I think Spock thinks he is really a dog.

They greet me as I get closer and I pat and stroke them because I can see they are very uneasy about something. Come guys, let’s get you some breakfast. Come on, you need to eat and go and do your business outside. I’ll come with you. I walk to the door and they start following me but they turn back and sit down again with their backs to each other. They look quite guilty for not obeying me and I am puzzled by their behaviour and walk back up the stairs to start bringing their food, water and blankets down. I trudge back up the steps to fetch the extra-large litter box. In this regard Chewbacca thinks he is a cat and he quite happily uses it when it is raining outside or at night when the doors are locked.

I walk back down to the basement and at least they are eating. I put the litter box down and give them each a hug and kiss. Ok Spock and Chewy, something strange is going on. I’d better start making a list of what I think we will need. As I walk back up the steps the phone starts ringing.

* * *

My dad’s colleague from America phoned him so we only left to go shopping at about ten. We all met in the kitchen for a master list and some more coffee. Dad was very agitated and he kept on pacing around the kitchen as he explained what his colleague had said. Professor Carr from NASA has confirmed that he has miscalculated the size, speed and orbit of the asteroid. He will send through the most recent data from the satellites in orbit around the earth and then once a few of us have checked the data we will have a conference call tomorrow. The last thing we want is for people to start panicking and looting. We need to make a list of friends that we can tell about the basement and what they need to bring with if they should decide to come here.

Once the list was done we drove to the shopping centre in silence. The radio was on and we listened to the reporter talking about the drought, heat waves to come and the gloomy economy. No mention was made of an asteroid threatening to destroy us. I didn’t know if I should be relieved or worried. Dan and Mom were chatting about medication to stock up on; he is a third year med student and at the top of his class. His girlfriend Alexis is also a third year student and they will probably get married one day.

Kevin spent the entire trip dozing and at least he looked more alert than a few hours ago. I think we should have come in more cars Dad, he said as we parked. I don’t see us getting that much in the boot. O, Kevin, couldn’t you have woken up before we left to go shopping? my dad sighed. Ok Dan, let’s go and fetch your car and Kevin can drive Mom’s car. Ladies, maybe you can start browsing in the camping shop and pharmacy, we will meet you at the coffee shop in thirty minutes. Make a list of everything you think we forgot.

My mom systematically walked through each aisle in the chemist and camping shop and made lists to discuss. "Antibiotics and birth control are going to be very hard to get without prescriptions. We must remember to get fire extinguishers and bleach