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<h1> <End></h1>
<p>
The group sits around the pot with leftovers on the gas stove, enjoying
the view of the skyline from above. To increase their odds of seeing
where Emily would land, they had decided to wait on top of one of the
tallest sky scrapers the city had to offer. The intense light of the
setting sun paints Nova Metropolis in vibrant hues of yellow and orange
while the moon is already coming over the horizon. They are engaged in
a conversation about the mind-boggling vastness of space and all it
contains.
</p>
<p class="strong">
bebebebeep bebebebeep bebebebeep
</p>
<p>
The alarm on Jack's watch interrupts them. He presses one of the
buttons and says:<br />
<span class="quote speech">It's time. Emily will be entering the
atmosphere right about now.</span><br />
They get up. James pulls a pair of binoculars out of his bag. Jack does
the same. Annie looks at both of them - her face clearly showing her
disappointment.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Don't worry, I got ya.</span> says Jack
as he pulls a second pair out of his bag and hands it to her with a grin.
<br />
<span class="quote speech">Oh, thank you!</span> She takes it and they
start walking towards the edge.
</p>
<p>
Michelle and James are already leaning against the railing and looking
towards the sky. Annie and Jack join them. Jack takes a compass out of
his pocket and briefly looks at it. Then, he points in a direction in the
sky and says:<br />
<span class="quote speech">The shuttle should appear somewhere around
there.</span><br />
James hands his binoculars to Michelle for a moment.<br />
<span class="quote speech">I see it! There!</span> she exclaims before
handing them back to him.<br />
It looks like a tiny, red glowing dot in the sky, slowly growing in size.
For a few minutes, not much seems to happen. The dot gets bigger and
bigger, turning into a black triangle as the glow fades and finally
disappears. The shuttle sheds its heat shield as it slowly comes closer.
</p>
<p>
Around the 15 minute mark, Jack notices that it has moved almost above
them.<br />
<span class="quote speech">That's a bit too close for comfort
– and way too fast.</span><br />
Looking at Annie, who seems visibly scared, he adds:<br />
<span class="quote speech">It's not gonna hit us, the odds of that
are pretty slim, but something's not right.</span><br />
As if on cue, the rear end of the shuttle breaks apart, turning into a
cloud of fragments. The rest plummets into the city moments later, taking
multiple buildings down with it. The ground shakes slightly. Nobody says
anything for a while as they watch the buildings around the impact
crumble and the remaining parts of the shuttle rain out of the sky in a
mix of shock and awe.
</p>
<p>
Michelle interrupts the silence: <span class="quote speech">Guys, over
there!</span> She points into the sky behind them.
<span class="quote speech">A parachute...</span><br />
<span class="comment">Jack: She has more luck than sense.</span><br />
<span class="comment">reaction needed – something along the lines
of "Sie hat mehr Glück als Verstand"</span><br />
They watch as it disappears between the buildings.
</p>
<p>
Annie walks over to their bags and, on a hunch, unpacks the radio
Jack had insisted on bringing.<br />
<span class="quote speech">Maybe, she can hear us from here...</span>
<br />
She hooks up the battery, flips the power switch, and turns the frequency
dial until the needle is in the position that Jack had marked.<br />
<span class="comment">Note to self: The battery is a car battery. Make
that clear at some point before this chapter. Maybe include the part where
Jack insists on bringing it.</span><br />
<span class="quote speech">Emily, can you hear us? Are you okay?</span>
<br />
They hear a slightly distorted but clearly happy response through the
noise:<br />
<span class="quote speech">Yes... Yes. I'm alive... I made it.</span>
<br />
</p>
<p class="comment">
This is the very end of the story. I originally didn't plan for
anything to happen after this though I have managed to somehow already
write about an event after this in <a href="./%3F%3F.txt">??.txt</a>.
</p>
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