Dystopian Tales

Before the Booms

"I'm having a baby! In November!"

It was an utter surprise, Tanya read all their expressions in an eye flicker and knew. Her father spoke first:

"With what's about to happen?" Tanya replied too quickly, giving away her prepared answer.

"Biology's heart keeps beating, no matter what is going on." An enormous pause ensued then her mother spoke.

"I don't want to see a baby die, I don't want to see my baby die! Why Tanya, why allow suffering?" Tanya was relieved to be allowed the debate.

"They say we will defiantly die, fast or slow but defiantly die because some fucking stray moon is going to hit us! Who says this so called moon is even a moon? Maybe it's a fucking alien civilization come to give us tips on breast feeding!" The family found the grace to smile, the daughter felt her heart ache and she ran a palm across her navel, "Mum?"

"Yes?"

"What if there was a chance my baby could live, a point oh oh one chance Mum?" Tanya's mother Julie, who was accomplished at whatever she did, shook her head:

"My girl, my Tanya, .001 percent chance is not to flirt with, we are all doomed. I have not relied on others to tell me this. I have looked at the rock with a telescope, many telescopes, completed the mathematics myself. It is heading to us. It is enormous and cannot be movie destroyed. It's fucking the size of Mount Everest! An extinction event. It is real. It is due in November. Like your baby."

***

Ju-Ju daughter of Old Julie snapped awake, sometimes she dreamed of her people before the booms.