To: 999 (all members) From: E2K (J.W.Smith) Subject: SCI-FI STORY SCI FI STORY Chapter one: The Begining of the end ------------------------------------ I was woken by the loudest noise that I had ever heard. If I had not known any better, I would have thought that a jet plane was about to land in my bedroom. How was I supposed to know that I was not that far from the truth? In my haste to get to the window I grabbed my robe and flung back the curtains. What I saw when I looked was something that I'll never forget. The sky was almost totally obscured so that what would have been a bright February morning, was dull and overcast. This did not play long on my mind as I looked up into the sky to see what could only have been described as a huge floating dinner plate. It was almost featurless execpt for a section in the middle that formed a huge ring with what appeared to be a dome in the centre of that. It did not appear to have any engines yet it moved steadily on over the tops of houses slowly turning all the time, rumbling as if there were a volcano inside waiting to erupt. I fell to the floor numb with shock, and it was only then that I realised that the whole house was vibrating as if it were at the epicentre of an earthquake. As I looked round the room things danced across tables and shelves, the glass which I kept by the bed crashed to the floor and a patch of dark spread into the carpet as water rushed from the broken remains. then there was silence! I hauled myself back up to the window sill and peered out in nervous anticipation. London, only twelve miles away and quite visible from here, was shrouded in gloom. I was taken aback, not just by the fact that this thing had travelled such a distance in a matter of minutes, but that the thing was hovering exactly over London, casting a shadow that almost darkened out the city completely. So there it was, hung over the city casting a shadow over London like a monstrous harbinger of all the untold horrors that were to follow. The sight of it gave me a feeling of dread that reached down into the pit of my stomach and, as I watched unable to move, it started to spin increasing speed. Slowly at first but rising in speed at an alarming rate. The dome in the centre started to glow, and it was at this point that it started to hum. Quiet at first, just barely audible. This did not last long as the hum grew in volume, becoming alarmingly loud, even from this distance in a frighteningly short period of time. I clasped my hands to my ears to try to block out the pain that was now searing through my ears as the hum was now piercingly loud. I became aware that I was losing consciousness. The glass in the corner of the pane cracked, as I watched it spread. Then the window started to ripple as the hum grew louder still. With what must have been a tremendous crash the glass erupted, showering me with razor sharp pieces of double glazing. I tripped and fell, over what is a blurred memory that I can't quite recall. As I hit the floor my vision went dim and the last conscious thoughts were a jumble of nonsense as I slipped into the darkness of my own mind. At about half past two that after- noon I woke, shivering among the shattered remains of glass and other debris. The light had faded to a dull grey/blue, and there were long shadows stretched across the ceiling. I regarded these as I lay there, my breath condensing in the sharp biting cold air. When the notion to move actually struck me I lifted my head, only to be met with the most sickening pain throughout my head that nauseated me to the point of almost blacking out again. I laid back to let the pain subside, moving only when it had reduced to a constant thump. I lifted myself to my feet and slowly went and sat on the bed. I regarded the mess that surrounded me for a moment before reaching for my trousers and a jumper. Pulling them on and reaching for my shoes, I played a mental tug of war with my own mind. One half telling me this was a dream, not real at all but some vivid nightmare that I would soon wake from. The other that it was all too real, and that we were all in dire trouble. I looked across to the window as I tied my shoes, wanting to look but not quite having the courage. As I stood, morbid curiosity made me look,and I went across the room to the jagged hole that was once my window. What I saw took me completly aback. London, the place that had always been framed perfectly in this window like a real life photo was a burning ruin burning ruin. In the misty distance I could see fires raging, illuminating the sky orange-red, half-demolished buildings and every now and then a violent explosion would errupt sending clouds of red flame followed by black smoke up into the air. Slowly I turned away from the window and I hid my face in my hands as I just stood there and sobbed. more to come................... ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,