“Emergency alert!”
“Have you all received the information from the observatories?”
“I wish I never received this report!”
“This is just a pile of shit!”
“......”
In a meeting of world leaders from major countries, they were already stressed out due to the battle between Cthulhu and Surtr in Antarctica. They prayed that Cthulhu would hold on, and they hoped that Surtr's flames wouldn't completely melt the Antarctic glaciers.
However, at this moment, the leaders of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council received reports from their respective countries. After seeing the contents of the reports, these leaders, who were supposed to remain calm in the face of any crisis, began to loudly curse.
They were still human, and despite their composure during the previous mysterious disasters, the reason they remained calm was that they all had their own escape plans. Whether deep underground in heavily fortified nuclear bunkers or taking rockets to the small secret shelters on the moon that their countries had long established, they could survive and preserve the spark of human civilization.
Because they knew they wouldn't die, they had no fear.
However, when the astronomical reports arrived, and they saw the conclusions reached by astronomers and physicists from various countries, they finally felt fear. They realized that this time, all escape plans were futile. Not only would the Earth be destroyed, but even the moon might be engulfed as well. The leaders of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, whether swearing or remaining silent, all wore heavy expressions.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why are you all making those expressions? What has actually happened? Quickly tell us!”
“......”
There weren't many countries capable of exploring space. Some countries possessed the technological capacity but hadn't invested in building the necessary infrastructure, while others lacked the capability altogether. Seeing the five leaders of the permanent members of the UN Security Council with grave expressions, either swearing or saying nothing at all, aroused the curiosity of other heads of state. However, they also felt a faint sense of dread.
What had happened to make these leaders react this way?
The leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council had no intention of concealing the information, and at this point, withholding information was pointless. They projected the reports from their respective astronomical research institutes onto screens so that all participants could see the contents.
"Oh, dear God! Are you saying that the Earth will be destroyed in fifteen minutes? Even our moon will be obliterated?!"
"More precisely, it's thirteen minutes from now. Two minutes had already passed since we received this intel."
"Bullshit! Are you kidding us?! When did your equipment become capable of detecting objects traveling faster than the speed of light? Have you secretly discovered some relics of an extraterrestrial civilization and gained their technology? If there are extraterrestrial relics, does it contain a way to escape Earth quickly? If there is such a method, you better tell us now!"
A leader from one of the countries noticed the apparent inconsistency in the report and immediately raised objections.
Others also turned their attention to the five leaders, awaiting their explanation.
The Russian leader knocked on the table, giving them an annoyed look, and said, "I swear that none of our five countries have found any extraterrestrial relics. Sir, when you ask questions, can you please take a look at the explanation in parentheses at the end of the report?"
"The reason we measured the speed of this mysterious object as exceeding the speed of light is based on the distance from when we first detected it and the subsequent distances we observed it at. It was calculated based on the time intervals and the moments of discovery."
"The Earth is at least six billion kilometers away from Pluto. Even light would take two hours to traverse that distance. However, our equipment can monitor the high-energy reactions emitted by this object in real time. It's highly unscientific, but it's almost magical!"
"Furthermore, please note that some researchers speculate that this object may not be moving faster than light but rather leaping across the universe, similar to opening a wormhole!"
The leader who had previously questioned the report glanced at the parentheses at the end of the document and, feeling embarrassed, sat back down. In his earlier panic and fear, he hadn't read the entire document before raising his questions.
"As for the question of extraterrestrial relics, it's even more far-fetched. We are here on Earth right now; we haven't gone anywhere, and we haven't made any immediate escape plans. This already shows that we haven't found any relics of extraterrestrial civilizations, nor do we have a way to escape Earth in a short amount of time."
"Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, we only have ten minutes left to live. In ten minutes, Earth will be destroyed. During these last moments, I suggest that everyone think about what they want to do, and what they can do. I recommend that each of you call your families."
"Also, don't inform the public. That would only cause panic among the people. Instead, let all of humanity perish without knowing. According to the calculations of physicists, the energy of this object is sufficient to tear the Earth apart instantly. I think we will die painlessly."
At this moment, the Russian leader had calmed down, and everyone in the room, including him, began to smile. As heads of their respective nations, they all had extraordinary qualities, and in a short time, they managed to regain their composure.
The Russian leader, now composed, took out his phone and began calling his family members while the discussion continued.
Then, the leader of China spoke up, displaying a photo on the screen that had been unintentionally captured by their nation's advanced astronomical equipment.
"Oh, by the way, this is a photo taken by our country's Sky Eye telescope by chance. I think everyone should take a look."
At this point, the leader of China spoke up and displayed a photo on the screen in front of everyone.
……
As everyone heard that there was a photo of the mysterious object, they all leaned forward in anticipation. While it seemed highly unscientific, given humanity's current technology, to capture an image of something so far away in the universe in an instant, the presence of various gods and supernatural occurrences in recent times had made people more accepting of the inexplicable.
“What is that?”
“Why does it look just like a beam of light?”
"Yeah, it's similar to the light we project with our flashlights."
"Is it true that this thing can instantly destroy Earth?"
"It feels like some kind of photon weapon used by an extraterrestrial civilization. Could it be that they're trying to pierce through Earth?"
“Could it be like the photon torpedoes in ‘Star Trek’?”
“......”
The room buzzed with speculation, although everyone knew that discussing it here would lead to no conclusions. Even if they learned what this object was, it seemed that Earth's inhabitants could only watch helplessly as events unfolded. Nevertheless, they were the last to witness this mysterious entity that was about to destroy Earth.
"Let's not talk anymore. Let's pray quietly. The Vatican has angels, and China and Japan have gods. If they can intervene, they will. If they can't, then discussing it here won't change anything."
The room fell silent again, and each person either reached for their phone to contact their families or began to pray. Those with faith believed that they would ascend to heaven after death.
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