Orbital by bill zhao copyright 2017 Bill Zhao Table of Contents act one (earth)

crossed his mind for a second when he realised that he was flying
through space. The on-board display showed 124 hours until
destination reached. Luckily all the escape pods were equipped with
more than enough for the pre designated journey. The small, cosy
interior of the pod would probably seem dull after spending a couple of
days in it but it was home. Derek stared at the Earth in the distance.
What will he encounter?
5 Days later

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The on-board display beeped once again, waking Derek up. On the
screen showed: ETA 4 HOURS LEFT TO DESTINATION. Derek
adjusted his focus towards the now large and intimidating Earth. The
large orange spot was still there… only now Derek could see it in detail.
He squinted. It was no longer just an orange spot. It was a massive
cyclone of fire and destruction which spanned across (from the pods
display) parts of Russia to China. He looked at the news:
ESTIMATED 8 MILLION DEAD FROM
WARHEAD, RAGSTON DECEASED
Derek was in no way planned for this. He never could have expected
this to happen. He was also excited. For Earth. What will he find there?
What can he do when he gets there? The on-board display now
accurately drew a virtual line showing their exact destination.
Colorado, North America.
Derek stared at the planet’s atmosphere and surface. The soft blues and
greens slowly started to engulf his vision. He wasn’t keeping track of
how much time has passed. However long that may be, his heart started
up again as suddenly, the exterior of the pod burst into flames. Derek
hid back and watched as the only window turned red – orange. Horrid
thoughts filled his mind such as burning to death or crashing in a fiery