September 2143

24 September 2143
ANCHOR: Authorities are still unsure of what happened to the Habitat Mars shuttle lost in the attempt to divert Rylo-7. Here, live, is Dr. Kristeen Ballard.

BALLARD: We're scanning space for signs of the wreckage but so far we haven't found anything. We don't know yet what went wrong.

ANCHOR: Meanwhile, the giant asteroid has rounded Mars and the projected impact on Earth is November 1st.

27 September 2143
ANCHOR: Dr. Winston Rylo updated reporters on the status of Rylo-7 in a press briefing this morning.

RYLO: Rylo-7 is seven times larger than the last great asteroid which struck Earth 65 million years ago. That last one kicked up so much dust into the atmosphere that it led to the demise of the dinosaurs and precipitated an Ice Age.

ANCHOR: Here in the NAU, President Clarke is guardedly optimistic. President Clarke?

CLARKE: There's certainly cause for concern -- but we're not sitting ducks. We have a number of defence options which are being carefully considered by the leaders of all the Combines in consultation with our top scientists.

28 September 2143
ANCHOR: The leaders of the five Economic Combines announced today that they are reviving the World Congress, which has been dormant for more than five decades. The members are meeting in the Virtual Reality Net to decide on a unified plan of action to deal with the rogue asteroid projected to collide with Earth on November 1st.

In other news, the global manhunt intensifies for Kyle Swann, former Chief Computer programmer of CenBank, who many believe can shed light on the mystery behind CenBank chairman Barton Poole. Some authorities are now privately asserting that Swann may also be involved with the rebel group "R".

29 September 2143
ANCHOR: After consulting with the World Congress earlier today, Dr. Winston Rylo revealed a possible breakthrough in the Rylo-7 crisis.

RYLO: Theoretically, if a neutron bomb of sufficient megatonnage was detonated close to Rylo-7, its neutrons would bombard the near side of the asteroid -- vaporising the rock and metals there. This would cause a massive blow-out, if you will, along its flank. The resultant spewing gasses would act like a jet engine, pushing the asteroid away from Earth -- and towards the sun.

ANCHOR: Asked if such a neutron device existed, or could be built in time to counter Rylo-7's approach, Dr. Rylo would only say that an official announcement was forthcoming.

30 September 2143
ANCHOR: President Clarke announces that the World Congress has found the means to prevent a Rylo-7 catastrophe.

CLARKE: The threat posed by Earth-Crossing Asteroids, or ECAs, was recognised as far back as the late 20th Century. When the lunar colonies were first settled, the World Congress placed a 100-megaton neutron bomb on Moonbase Wilson as a precaution.

ANCHOR: Scientists believe that detonating this device at a distance of 50 miles from Rylo-7 will push it away from Earth, and toward the sun. The only question now is whether the rebels holding Moonbase Wilson will release the bomb to the marines aboard Space Shuttle Costello.