Beyond Man and Machines, Chapter 11

1st February 2012.

As the borders of America are not threatened and no further escalation occurs, the world falls into an uneasy calm.

Personal troubles that only months ago consumed people's lives, seem less important by contrast. The illusion of the infinite existence of mankind, with all its distractions and tribulations of everyday life, crumble to expose the fragility of human life on earth. The end of the world becomes a realistic possibility.

The fear of the unknown, an instinct that laid dormant in the consciousness of mankind, forgotten and subdued with the help of science and technology; has been re awoken. Parents who's children ask them if monsters exist, are no longer so sure of the answer.

The borders around America and the safe zones, grow taller and sturdier. The borders that the hostiles create matching their own. More and more gun emplacements are installed along the borders, trained on the the silhouettes of their counterparts across no man's land.

The world powers, who know that occupied America still has its nuclear arsenal, contemplate first strike. Talks continue amongst themselves. Memories and the connotations of the cold war still present in their minds, the truth still remained, a nuclear war was not one that many would walk away from...

On the morning of the 6th February, reports come through that a missile has been launched from within the occupied territories. Leaders shout down phones, the media report the activity to the public who stop in their tracks and listen to the news, satellites track the events on the ground.

It is quickly realised that the missile is from cape canaveral. Reports come from American command based in Washington that it is not a nuclear missile but a shuttle.

The space shuttle enters the outer atmosphere and holds an orbit around the earth. It manoeuvres with the use of boosters to change its orbit. it speeds up to match the orbit of the international space station. Inside the space station the occupants who have been watching the events unfold, peer out of the windows. With no means to defend themselves or escape they just watch with a mix curiosity and trepidation.

The uppermost shell of the shuttle opens up, falling to the sides. As gases are released into space, a satellite with a large cylindrical base, emerges. Once clear of the shuttle, the satellite extends solar panels which angle towards the sun. Almost immediately, panels on the side of the satellite open out and the coils inside start to glow red as energy is built up within. An increasingly loud hum vibrates through the coils. At the noises pitch, the satellite emits a powerful lazer beam that cuts through the connecting beams between the crew quarters and equipment room; separating the station in two. Air rushes out of the space station and as the astronauts clamber for their suits, a second beam cuts along the body, opening it up straight up the middle. The astronauts clamber into their suits just in time before the cold and lack of oxygen reaches them. They just need to get into the shuttle attached to the centre in order to escape. Unfortunately, the shuttle along with the rest of the station is entering the Earths outer atmosphere. The resulting fireball can be seen from earth.

As the satellite destroyer, one by one, destroys the satellites orbiting earth, a message is received that is the voices of world leaders across the earth, broadcasting in their native languages. The message received by the People in the safe zone are a mash up of voices president Obama, Bush, Nixon, among others from past speeches. 'We have taken the United States of America. Do not attempt to attack us, we have nuclear weapons. We will survive a nuclear war, you will not.'