Day One
An original science fiction story
I wanted to conduct a little experiment with my latest flash fiction story. This story chronicles an alien attack through the lens of a fictional AP-style news report. Enjoy!
Alien spheres level four major U.S. Cities, thousands feared dead or missing
By: Chip Wright,
World News Daily
WASHINGTON — Mysterious extraterrestrial spheres carved a simultaneous path of destruction through four major cities on Monday in the deadliest attack on the United States in history, leaving tens of thousands dead or missing and sparking civil unrest nationwide.
The attacks began when hundreds of spheres blanketed skies over New York City, Baltimore, Boston, and Philadelphia shortly before 4 pm EST. Witnesses described the spheres as metallic in appearance and noted they were roughly the same size as a basketball. Spheres started glowing and opened fire only a few seconds later, toppling skyscrapers and setting vehicles aflame during a relentless aerial bombardment.
Individual spheres changed direction and tracked fleeing individuals, executing them with unidentified energy weapons as they ran for cover.
"It was so awful," said Bonnie Greer, a teary-eyed Baltimore resident. "People up and down the street were blasted apart before my eyes."
Survivors took refuge in local parks and under overpasses and bridges while trying to escape the onslaught. Bombardment lasted for approximately an hour before finally ceasing. First responders are combing through rubble in affected cities but have only scratched the surface with locating dead or injured residents.
Early reports from New York City, Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia estimate a combined 20,000 dead in those cities from the first wave of attacks. The number of casualties is expected to rise dramatically over the next few hours as first responders recover more bodies while continuing to sift through rubble.
Chaos has broken out nationwide in the wake of the deadly aerial attacks. Reports of looting at supermarkets and convenience stores, coupled with skirmishes with local law enforcement, are prevalent from coast to coast. Traffic accidents have also spiked as terrified residents flee out of cities.
President Gillman urged calm in a special address to the nation from a secure bunker in an undisclosed location on Monday night.
"We need to stay in our homes and care for our families," the President said. "Panic is not a solution. Only steadfast faith and unwavering courage will help us stand against this threat and see our nation through this temporary crisis."
White House critics called the President's comments aloof, and patronizing, given the harmful role his policies played in allowing the attacks to occur. They pointed to recent spending reduction measures as a short-sighted decision which left the Earth Defense Bureau ill equipped to prevent a fleet of mysterious spheres from breaking through planetary defenses.
Now fear is widespread that more attacks are coming, putting millions of additional lives at stake.
“We need answers that will save lives,” House Speaker Skip Bonner said. “The president needs to stop worrying about propping up his falling poll numbers and take real bipartisan action to neutralize this alien threat.”
Did you enjoy this sci-fi tale? Browse through other stories at Strange New Worlds and check out my Alien People Chronicles series.
Living on the West Coast, I was relieved to read that the attacks seemed to be focused on the East Coast. 🤪