The Sun Goes Nova

Bob entered his house and looked around. He instinctively sensed that something was wrong. All the decorations and all the furniture were gone. Even the wallpaper had been ripped off the wall. There had been a family portrait on the wall of Bob, his wife Liz, their then ten year old son Daniel, and their then six year old daughter Macy. His son was now sixteen years old and his daughter was twelve years old. The picture was gone. There was only a slightly dusty rectangle to show where it had been. He went to the kitchen. There was a piece of paper on the refrigerator door which hadn't been there when he had left for work that morning. It said: Bob - The world is ending in ten days. I have taken the kids to the International Space Station where they will be safe. There is a space ship leaving from the International Space Station tomorrow at noon. Please come. - Liz. So that is what this is all about. Bob was a scientist at NASA. He was working on interstellar flight. Last month, his team had perfected an engine that could travel to Alpha Centauri in two weeks. This announcement had come around the same time as the announcement that the government had issued saying that the sun would go nova in approximately six months. Before that could happen, the president of Earth planned on evacuating the planet to a planet called New Earth that was orbiting Alpha Centauri. Bob hurriedly packed up his things. The space shuttle that took people to the International Space Station was leaving in two hours and the air taxi that would take him to the International Space Station left in tem minutes for the thirty minute trip. The International Space Station was currently hovering over Kansas which was where the shuttle left from to get there. Bob lived in Topeka which was a city in the state of Kansas. Bob's house was only a twenty minute drive from the launching pad but there was bound to be traffic because the whole of planet Earth was rushing to get there before the sun went nova. Bob knew that most people who lived in Kansas had left a week ago and it was time for him to get a move on and leave already. Bob packed all the clothes that were in his closet into a suitcase which he then compressed so that it was the size of a duffel bag. He then packed all of the clothing that was in the drawers of the dresser he shared with his wife, Liz. These clothes went into another suitcase which he also compressed until it was the size of a duffel bag. He then took all of the books that were in his bookcase and packed them into another bookcase that was travel size. This he compressed until it was two feet high by one foot wide. He checked the house. That was all that had needed to be packed. Liz had already packed all the important things such as her clothes, Macy’s clothes, and Daniel’s and they and the luggage were already on the International Space Station. The only things that were left were the things that couldn’t be removed such as the kitchen sink. He took the two duffel bags and the mini bookcase and left the house. He stood outside on his front lawn and looked around at his neighborhood. He still lived on the street that he had grown up on. The house that he lived in now was across the street from the one that his parents still lived in. He would miss the place; there were so many memories there. He wished that there was some way that the planet Earth could be saved. Unfortunately, he knew in his heart that the world’s best scientists – him included – had gone over the problem hundreds of times and evacuation was the best possible solution. He called the taxi service on his cell phone. Five minutes later, the taxi landed in front of him. He noticed that the trunk and all four doors automatically opened when it landed. He smiled wryly. This meant that the taxi was automated instead of being driven by a human driver or even an android driver. He figured that all the human taxi drivers were already on the International Space Station. He put the two duffel bags and the mini bookcase in the trunk and closed the trunk. He entered the taxi and sat down on a seat in the back of the car. All four doors closed automatically.
“Where can I take you,” asked the automated taxi.
“You can take me to the shuttle launching pad for the International Space Station,” said Bob.
“Please buckle your seat belt. This will be a quick ride,” said the automated taxi.
Bob nodded and buckled his seat belt. He knew that when the taxi said, “quick ride” that the taxi would most likely be traveling at one hundred miles per hour. The taxi moved out of its parking space onto the road. It rose slowly until it was hovering about five feet in the air. It took off at about seventy miles per hour. It swerved around any cars, buses, or trucks that got in its way. It was going so fast that Bob was afraid of getting into an accident and he remembered why he tried to void traveling in automated taxis. The taxi went on the highway. The highway was very crowded. Bob looked out his window. Houses and other motor vehicles passed by in a blur. A half hour later, the taxi slowed down and lowered itself down in front of the space shuttle launching pad.
“That will be twenty credits,” said the automate taxi in a cheerful voice.
All the doors and the trunk opened. Bob unbuckled his seat belt, and took out his credit card. He swiped his credit card and then signed his name on the padd with the electronic pen that was provided.
“Thank you very much,” said the automated taxi.”
“You’re welcome,” said Bob.
He felt slightly silly talking to a car (even if it was a fully automated taxi with artificial intelligence) as if a human person was present. Even the android drivers did not usually engage in small talk. He got used to it in time. He exited the car and got out his two duffel bags and mini bookcase from the trunk of the automated taxi. In response, all four doors and the trunk closed and the automated taxi took off. Bob shook his head in disbelief. He knew it was just the activation of the taxi’s homing device but to him it looked as if the taxi knew what it was doing. He went into the waiting room. It was very crowed with al kinds of people who were anxious to get off the planet before the sun became unsafe and it was difficult to find a seat the wasn’t occupied by someone who was not willing to stand up and give up their seat to someone else. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found an empty seat next to a woman who appeared to be wearing almost nothing. He was embarrassed for her so he looked away.
“The next flight on the space shuttle to the International Space Station is leaving in fifteen minutes,” announced the receptionist.
Bob looked toward the counter, behind which the receptionist sat. He saw no microphone but he had been able to hear the receptionist clearly over the noise of all the waiting people talking, whining, yelling at, or complaining to each other. Bob guessed that the receptionist was an android. He frowned because he preferred humans to androids. He knew that some people had household robotic servants and were used to seeing androids performing menial tasks but Bob was afraid that the androids were smarter than humans and would someday stage a revolt. He did not want to be there when it happened though he did want the satisfaction of saying, “I told you so.” Bob figured that that made him a hypocrite. He didn’t mind. After all, he was only human. He snuck a look at the woman who was sitting next to him. She appeared to be wearing only a bra and panties. The bra and panties were both black and covered her well. They were very modest and not sexy at all.
“Laundry day,” he asked, nervously. Certain parts of his body were acting up that he preferred to keep private.
“Huh,” the woman asked, seemingly coming out of a daze.
“Oh, this,” she said looking down at herself.
“Yeah, I accidentally shipped all of my clothing to the International Space Station except for this outfit, if you can even cal it that. I hope I’m not offending you,” said the woman while smiling sheepishly.
“Oh, no, not at all,” he lied.
“My name is Bob. What is your name,” asked Bob.
“My name is Clara, and contrary to what I am wearing, no, I do not work in the world’s oldest profession,” said Clara.
Bob laughed and said, “I did not think that you were a hooker although you must admit that though that outfit is not sexy it is not something that most people would wear outside of their homes.”
“I agree,” said Clara.
A man suddenly appeared out of thin air. He looked confused and disoriented. The man had light brown hair, brown eyes, and pale skin and appeared to be about thirty-five years of age. He saw Clara.
“Have I died and gone to heaven,” asked the man.
“No,” said Bob, chuckling.
“What is your name,” asked Bob.
“My name is John Jacob Jingleheimer Smit,” said John.
“What year is it,” asked Bob.
“It is the year of the common era 2532,” said John.
“Where were you before you arrived here,” asked Bob.
“I was at the gym in the hotel I was staying at,” said John.
Bob noted the fact that John was wearing a white t-shirt, light grey sweat pants, and adidas sneakers and had a white towel around his neck.
“What were you doing at the gym,” asked Bob.
“I was on the treadmill,” replied John.
John glanced at Clara in wonder.
“Are you an angel,” asked John.
“No,” said Clara, bemused.
I am an ordinary human being who just happens to be an attractive female who is clad only in a bra and panties,” she said.
“Why,” asked John.
“Laundry day,” replied Clara.
“Ah,” said John.
Suddenly John disappeared with an audible and very loud popping noise.
“That was weird,” said Bob.
“Certainly not something that you see everyday,” agreed Clara.
“The space shuttle has arrived,” announced the receptionist in a monotonous voice.
“That’s my flight,” said Bob, gathering up his two duffel bags and mini bookcase.
“Mine too,” said Clara.
They stood up and walked out of the waiting room together. They entered the space shuttle that would take them to the International Space Station and found seats next to each other.
“Do you have family on the International Space Station,” asked Clara.
“Yes, my wife Liz, my twelve year old daughter Macy, and my sixteen year old son Daniel left for the International Space Station this morning,” said Bob.
“Do you miss them,” asked Clara.
“Yes,” said Bob.
“Do you have family on the International Space Station,” he asked.
“Yes. My mother Gabrielle, my sister Nancy, my brother-in-law Jason, and my five year old nephew Andrew are all on the International Space Station,” she replied.
“I can’t wait to see them again. They left last Tuesday,” she said.
The shuttle took off. Thirty minutes later, it docked with the International Space Station.
“Well, I guess that I will see you around,” said Bob.
“See ya,” said Clara.
They left the space shuttle and entered the International Space Station separately.
“Daddy, you’re here,” shouted Bob’s daughter.
“Macy, Daniel, Liz,” yelled Bob.
He ran to them. He picked up Macy, hugged her, and put her back down. He hugged Daniel. He swept Liz into his arms and planted a big kiss on her lips. She kissed him back and hugged him tight. A few moments later, he released her. He surveyed his family. Macy looked worried; she was chewing her bottom lip. Daniel looked angry, he had his arms crossed and he was frowning. Liz looked relieved; a big smile was on her face. Bob was happy that his family was all together again.
“Do you have everything?” asked Bob.
“Yes,” said Liz.
Bob noted the fact that everyone was carrying a duffel bag in each hand.
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go,” said Bob, enthusiastically.
“You can’t go,” intoned a deep voice.
“Who said that?” asked Bob.
“I did,” said the deep booming voice.
“Who are you?” asked Bob, looking around for the source of the voice.
“I am not anybody important. You do not need to listen to me if you don’t want to,” said the voice which sounded male.
“Oh,” said Bob, feeling a little annoyed.
“Then why are you talking to me,” asked Bob.
“I am talking to you because I feel like it. There is no other reason,” said the voice.
“Well if you ask me, I think that it is a stupid reason,” said Bob.
“Nobody asked you,” said the voice.
Suddenly, Bob disappeared. He was nowhere. He vaguely heard Macy cry out but couldn’t really make out what she had said. It sounded like “Where did Daddy go? Daddy can you here me? Where are you?” but he wasn’t sure. He tried to call out to her but he when he opened his mouth, no sound came out. A few moments later, he abruptly appeared in the middle of nowhere.
“Where am I,” he wondered out loud.
Looking around him, he muttered, “A better question might be to ask when I am.”
A cat covered in post-it notes walked by. It had light brown fur and yellow eyes. The post-it notes were all various shades of yellow.