章節 31: World in chaos

19 days later, on a Friday, "The New York Times" published an article titled "NASA scientist breaks NDA to warn people: a comet is approaching Earth."

It was Michael's fiftieth day in this new world. Two days later, the space object was supposed to pass by the planet. Chance of collision had been less than 1%, and the error was miniscule too.

In the past two and a half weeks, the four friends' work on Angry Birds finally saw its finish line. In order not to draw suspicion to himself, he had asked Sofia to start the asteroid animation three days prior. With Anna's fine soundtrack and Dimitri's unintelligible code, the game was almost ready to come out on iOS.

Michael's expertly made levels shocked Dimitri who expected to spend months on testing them. However, it seemed like every one of them had been tested before. And they had been – in Michael's upgraded, inhumanly enhanced mind.

The only thing left to do was to change the previously drawn asteroid to the image of the comet Michael presumed would be all over the Internet.

His cultivation was still the same, at 1-stage, 7-star. Dealing with the imaginary boiling water was harder than he thought. And with YouTube videos, overseeing the game's development and a timetable full of advanced classes, Michael barely had time. He had already regretted applying for the maximum workload at school, but it was impossible to change in the middle of a semester.

Michael's mother found work with EIS's recommendation. It was the same job she had in his past life, a manager at a clothing store. While it wasn't very taxing, Michael still hated to see his mother tired on the weekends.

Such normal and peaceful life couldn't continue forever.

And on Friday, October 3rd, people all over the world trembled in fear when they read the stunning piece of news. The Internet exploded, with hundreds of websites popping out of nowhere, flaunting pictures of comets or promising salvation for a hefty sum. The same day, over thirty books on the topic appeared on the shelves of bookstores. One could only wonder where the publishers hid the manuscripts.

In the middle of the day, every government's leader appeared on TV or in the papers to assure the people. They all said the same words and pushed the same idea – that everything would be fine.

"Dear citizens of Belarus!.."

"…Austria!.."

"…Canada! I believe every one of us has heard or seen the troubling news. I am here right now to tell you, it is true. A comet will pass our planet in two days. However! Our best scientists agree with the best English…"

"…Chinese…"

"…German…"

"…French scientists: the comet will not touch our mother Earth. It will pass by peacefully and will not interfere in our everyday lives. I understand, you are scared. People are always scared of things they cannot change. But no need to fear. This is the world we live in. We populate a small planet in a vast, endless cosmos. Naturally, we don't know what to expect of the unknown. But not today! Not in two days! Not in this lifetime! The comet will come and go, and our beautiful..."

"...Japan…"

"…Mexico…"

"…Russia…"

"…Egypt will still be here. We will work, we will rest, study, grow up, fall in love, raise children and ensure a prosperous future for them with our own hands. Nothing can stop us, certainly not some rock from space. Not today and not in this lifetime. However, we must take safety measures! There might be electric malfunctions or small-scale natural disasters. Dear people of…"

"…Norway!.."

"…Brasil!.."

"…Spain!.."

"…United States of America! Listen! On Sunday, stay in your homes. Assemble an emergency kit with medicaments. Prepare enough water, food and warm clothes to last you at least three days. Keep your car's gas tank full. Ask for help if you need it and try to offer help in return. The most important thing is not to panic. Remember, these are all just precautions.

We must come together as one people in these trying times. Call your parents, friends and loved ones. Forgive their faults and thank them for being in your life. As I said before, this comet will come and go, but the people of…"

"…Indonesia…"

"…Israel…"

"…Philippines…"

"…Switzerland will still be here. Unbroken. Undefeated. Take care and be safe."

The world leaders' addresses and calls to unite as a nation did not go in vain. Around the world, people hugged their loved ones, asked for forgiveness and forgot past wrongs.

But the Internet was full of false prophets and crooks. Some people who were genuinely worried and frightened, turned to religion or really anyone who promised them safety. Several swindlers started selling tickets to spaceships, holy arks or nuclear shelters. Others gathered men and set camps on tall hills and mountains, believing they would be safer there.

"The Second Coming is here! Repent for your sins!" shouted crazy homeless people on the streets. Religion failed to reassure the believers, the voices of fanatics and radicals sounded louder than even the Pope's.

Smarter men stocked up a week's worth of supplies, armed themselves just in case and took their families away from low areas at risk of flooding. Most followed their leaders' words, checked up on their friends and took the time for themselves to escape the chaos. Those who flew or drove home to be together with their families were lucky, because planes were overbooked, and roads were full.

That Friday, principal Graves cancelled classes and gathered all the students on the square that was mostly used for events, celebrations and his official speeches. He announced that the following day, EIS would go on lockdown. Students were recommended to stay in the dorms instead of going to their apartments outside the school grounds. They could take their relatives, pets and precious belongings with them. EIS would take care of everyone's sleeping arrangements.

After Saturday evening, the gates would close, with no one allowed in or out. The security would be at least doubled and given express orders. That was why everyone had to make a decision until Saturday evening.

Michael asked his mother to stay at school with him, and she immediately agreed. Mother and son gathered what valuables they had and carried two bags each, walking to school together with their neighbors who worked, studied or had a relative at EIS.

The lockdown wasn't meant for hiding or huddling together, but for protecting the children and adults from the chaos that had every chance to overtake the town. Buying semi-automatic weapons was legal in the country, so every mad, high or drunk man on the streets could cause real casualties. That was why EIS's security, made up of experienced soldiers and veterans, was outfitted with automatic pistols and rifles.

According to Doug Graves's experience, he had to prepare the school for war.

Over the weekend, gyms, amusement parks and restaurants were empty, with people opting to keep their doors shut and stay inside. Instead, shops and bazaars, newspapers and TV news stations worked overtime.

On Sunday, the students and parents who wanted to watch the comet were invited to gather at separate spacious lecture halls with large windows. Michael wasn't lucky enough to get the gym or astronomy classroom, but his 9th grade occupied the arts and crafts hall. It was used for painting and such, so the windows allowed in a lot of natural light.

Seeing as the comet was deemed safe to look at, Michael's closest friends, Dimitri and Anna, also went along. Sofia had been taken away by her father's employees the day before.

Michael's mother didn't feel well, so she stayed in his dorm room and slept. There were spare rooms in the dorms, so the parents occupied them comfortably. Instead of sending his mom away to share closet space with someone unfamiliar, he prepared the second bed in his room for her. The woman appreciated the gesture, happy that her teenage son wasn't ready to grow apart from her.

The overall mood was very positive, with parents joking around and bragging about their children. The youths were eager to see an actual comet from space.

Michael breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that his worst fears didn't come to life. The comet was going to pass the planet by. His plans could go unimpeded. Roll out Angry Birds, earn money, take care of dad's health and allow his parents to live without worries.

"Host, be advised."

"Genetic materials of World Tree middle branch detected."