After ten years in deep space, Major Michael Tanner was returning to earth. Tanner was excited, but worried too. None of his recent messages to earth had been answered. It could be that his equipment was faulty, but everything checked out fine.
Tanner decided to leave his large mother ship in orbit and to take a smaller pilot ship down to the surface. Tanner descended through the atmosphere slowly to spare the pilot ship any needless damage.
As the craft approached the surface, Tanner looked for lights or any Houston area landmarks. There was nothing. Tanner landed the craft and searched the view screens. There were no buildings, no people, not plants, no roads. A flat lifeless desert extended in every direction.
Tanner checked the radiation level outside and it read perfectly normal. Whatever caused this massive erasure of civilization did it cleanly.
Tanner spent the night in the ship and the next morning loaded up some food and water in a pack and went outside. Randomly, Tanner chose to head north. After walking several hours, he noticed something in the distance.
As Tanner got closer, He realized that the unknown object was a 7-11 mini-mart. Whatever weapon or natural disaster had wiped away everything else had left a convenience store.
Tanner entered the unlocked doors and was shocked to find a clerk behind the counter. "Can I help you sir?" the clerk asked brightly. Tanner hesitated for a moment wondering if this was some bizarre hallucination. |"I just have a question" Tanner replied.
"|Go ahead" the clerk said with a smile. Tanner pointed out the glass door at the barren landscape. "Where is everything?" The clerk looked out the window. "|I don't see anything unusual" he said. Tanner tried again."Have you seen any people recently?"Well business has been a little slow recently" the clerk admitted.
Tanner gave up. "I hope business picks up" he told the clerk as he left.
Tanner returned to the pilot ship and decided to go back to the mother ship. He still had plenty of supplies left and he wanted to observe the earth from orbit for any changes.
About six months after his encounter with the 7-11 clerk, Tanner noticed some new activity in the vicinity of the convenience store. After landing, Tanner once again hiked to the location of the convenience store and was astonished to see an ARCO mini-mart and gas station being constructed.
Tanner once again entered the 7-11 and saw the same clerk he had encountered before standing behind the counter. This time the clerk looked upset. "Is there something wrong?" Tanner asked the man. The clerk pointed at the new ARCO mini-mart. "Once that thing is finished they are going to get all the business"
That same day, Tanner left for deep space and did not return.
Tanner decided to leave his large mother ship in orbit and to take a smaller pilot ship down to the surface. Tanner descended through the atmosphere slowly to spare the pilot ship any needless damage.
As the craft approached the surface, Tanner looked for lights or any Houston area landmarks. There was nothing. Tanner landed the craft and searched the view screens. There were no buildings, no people, not plants, no roads. A flat lifeless desert extended in every direction.
Tanner checked the radiation level outside and it read perfectly normal. Whatever caused this massive erasure of civilization did it cleanly.
Tanner spent the night in the ship and the next morning loaded up some food and water in a pack and went outside. Randomly, Tanner chose to head north. After walking several hours, he noticed something in the distance.
As Tanner got closer, He realized that the unknown object was a 7-11 mini-mart. Whatever weapon or natural disaster had wiped away everything else had left a convenience store.
Tanner entered the unlocked doors and was shocked to find a clerk behind the counter. "Can I help you sir?" the clerk asked brightly. Tanner hesitated for a moment wondering if this was some bizarre hallucination. |"I just have a question" Tanner replied.
"|Go ahead" the clerk said with a smile. Tanner pointed out the glass door at the barren landscape. "Where is everything?" The clerk looked out the window. "|I don't see anything unusual" he said. Tanner tried again."Have you seen any people recently?"Well business has been a little slow recently" the clerk admitted.
Tanner gave up. "I hope business picks up" he told the clerk as he left.
Tanner returned to the pilot ship and decided to go back to the mother ship. He still had plenty of supplies left and he wanted to observe the earth from orbit for any changes.
About six months after his encounter with the 7-11 clerk, Tanner noticed some new activity in the vicinity of the convenience store. After landing, Tanner once again hiked to the location of the convenience store and was astonished to see an ARCO mini-mart and gas station being constructed.
Tanner once again entered the 7-11 and saw the same clerk he had encountered before standing behind the counter. This time the clerk looked upset. "Is there something wrong?" Tanner asked the man. The clerk pointed at the new ARCO mini-mart. "Once that thing is finished they are going to get all the business"
That same day, Tanner left for deep space and did not return.
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