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Introduction
Just
before going inside, he looked into the heavens. It was a ritual. He
would scan the clear skies each evening, marveling at the brilliance
of the stars overhead. He would thank his Creator for these wonders
and the many blessings he had received. Although he often reflected
that he had simply exchanged one desert for another, he had come a long
way from his inauspicious beginnings. Then he would ask God to watch
over his mother and let her know he would not forget her.
Tonight
was different. The sky was disturbed. There were new stars flashing
above --- hundreds of them, maybe thousands. Were they getting larger?
Was that possible?
Larger
meant closer. The stars were approaching him. He was awestruck. Then
an explosion occurred on the outer wall of the ancient crater. Its significance
took a moment to register. "Impact!" he shouted to himself in disbelief.
He scrambled toward the fragile antenna dish, hoping to save it. He
had managed to disconnect it and collapse it when the first meteorite
struck several meters away from him. He looked up, but the dust cloud
raised by the meteorite blinded him. Carrying the antenna, he headed
in the direction of shelter. Four strides later he was stumbling down
the side of a small new crater. He rolled onto his back to avoid crushing
the antenna.
Looking
skyward, he saw the glow of his impending doom, but the meteorite passed
through his skull before comprehension occurred.
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