EPILOGUE

15.00 PM. Ian was mentally preparing for impact. Everyone was. Never before had everyone on 
Earth prepared for one single event. It would be the last time too, Ian thought bitterly. 
‘Impact in 8 minutes’, the computer informed.
‘I know that’, said Ian, ‘you don’t need to remind me. I repeat: no counting down.'
'Understood?’
‘Ay sir’, the computer replied.
Ian was quite amazed there had been no riots, no looting at all in these last days of the 
species of Man. All was arranged well. It did matter that Nemesis, as Earth’s future assassin 
was called, was discovered over 80 years ago. Mankind had had much time to prepare itself. Yet 
there was nothing one could do to avert the annihilation of 6000 years of civilization and 3 
million years of Homo Sapiens. Things had changed in the last 80 years. Wars, greed, hedonism, 
capitalism, all things that had divided humans for centuries, it all came to an end. Birth 
restriction achieved to reduce Earth population to 500 million at Time Zero. These last humans, 
Generation Doom, as they were called, (Ian did not like this name, it was as if they were 
blamed for the end of the human race) they occupied themselves with science, art, philosophy 
and love. They were fully aware of the nearing end, but they kept calm, they acquiesced. Hell 
yeah, he liked that name, the Acquiescents. Much better than Generation Doom. But he wouldn’t 
let any of these futilities pollute his mind anymore. Through the window, he saw a fireball 
entering the atmosphere. 
He went outside to greet the End.