Chapter One
The girl pushed an orange dread from her eyes and squinted at the sun through her shades. She liked the sun, it's colours, it's shape–especially the thought of it once being such a small little star, growing and growing until–
"Janie, girl, it's the end of the world as we know it." Ryan Jeckhert said. Janie didn't smile or glance at the speaker. This made Ryan quickly changed his course of dialogue. "That's okay though, 'cause we've got..." He pulled two slices of cafeteria pizza from behind his back. "Pepperoni and cheese!" There was a long silence until Janie turned hurriedly and started walking, pink dreads flying and orange braids whizzing.
"Aw, c'mon Janie. It's not that bad," he said quickly. Janie stopped walking and turned to him with a sad look. He doesn't know how bad.
What her best friend Ryan didn't know was that she had been asked, along with her scientific wonder of a cousin, to take part in an underground operation in Hong Kong. Her cousin–being oh-so adventurous–accepted the offer and Janie was going to be flown in from New Mexico that morning.
Of course there had been plenty of pointless arguments leading to their decision as to whether they would go or not, sides changing regularly. In the end(when they heard about the asteroid, actually) it was decided that they would do it, leaving the rest of the world's population to face certain death above ground.
"Ryan," Janie started, "I..." she trailed off, not knowing what to say the person who had been her only friend after her parents left, everyone else to scared that they would say the wrong things and make her cry. "I... I've got to go." she fought back the guilty feeling creeping in on her, focusing on the long black sedan which had pulled up along the sidewalk. Her cousin's shaved head popped out of the car's sunroof and her glittering blue eyes focused on Janie and Ryan. "Janie, c'mon. We gotta go."she said.. Janie nodded and stepped towards the car. She opened the door and slipped onto the uncomfortable leather seats, eyes trained on the seat in front of her.
This wasn't the only Underground Hibernation Operation(UHO) being held to save some of the really smart humans for mostly sentimental reasons. Janie knew that one was being held aboveground, the Mayflower or some stupid name like that. The one she had excepted was being held by the U.S. Government, the Russian Government, the Chinese Government, and the Canadian Government–as well as NASA. She knew nothing about it, only that they were going to be put to sleep for awhile and would eventually wake up underground somewhere near what would be the remains of China. Sounds like fun, Janie thought wistfully as the car began to move.
They arrived in Hong Kong with perfect timing, just in time see to see the face of Cordelia Something-or-whatever's face be broadcasted over every TV in the airport. Janie could feel the tension rising as she pushed along with her cousin, ignoring the screens and heading straight for the door.
They were escorted to a giant building outside the city, and were left standing at the doors with the other chosen, their escorts running home to spend whatever time they had left with their families. They banged at the doors until a quizzical NASA scientist allowed them in, confused as to why the doors had been shut in the first place. After a few more pointless interruptions like so they were led down by elevator to an odd, sanitary limestone basement, little coffin-like berths strewn in no particular order around the room. Little did they know that above the ground, miles away, overs were receiving a quite similar treatment.
They were given brief instructions, left alone, and then the panic began. People began saying that they wouldn't spend a life time in a basement rotting away and would rather die by whatever damage the asteroid would cause. Unfortunately for them, the doors were closed.
Janie took the news quite well, and followed the instructions as she had been told. As soon as she lay down in her berth and placed the tube she had been shown into her mouth, she drifted off and her body immediately shut down. Near her, her cousin was also nodding off, and in the corners, the scared ones were sitting down and awaiting the asteroid– hoping that their small efforts to hibernate wouldn't pay off, and that death would come shortly. If only they knew.