Waiting for the Midnight Sun

Zac and Derrick are two bros chillin in a field. They’re waiting for The Midnight Sun, a meteorite two miles in diameter that will pass by Earth at a distance of roughly one hundred fifty thousand miles. That’s closer than the moon.

Zac pulls a bag of weed from his pocket and says, “What do you say? You want to burn one?”

“Hell yeah! Let’s do it.”

Zac flips on the dome light and starts rolling a joint. “What do you think, D? Some people are saying this meteor is a sign of a new era, like the beginning of a spiritual awakening or something.”

“Z, history is filled with celestial events preceding big things. Think Jesus, dude. He had his own star. I totally believe that after tonight, people’s minds are going to open up and we’ll eventually be one with nature living communally.”

Zac laughs out a stream of smoke after lighting up. “You think so? I’m thinking our intellect will broaden and there will be technological advancements beyond our wildest dreams.” He hands the joint to Derrick.

Derrick takes a drag, exhales, hands it back to Zac, and says, “No, man, nature, totally nature. This might be a sign that Jesus is coming back. He’s supposed to come back and set us all straight.”

“Jesus? Since when are you Christian,” Zac asks as he takes a hit.

“I’m not, but I’ve been reading some stuff on his life and teachings. I would so like to down some wine with Jesus. The way he sees things and thinks about things – he’s got the right idea, dude. I don’t think he’d be into all this capitalism and gun rights stuff like we are, and I don’t think he’d be a redistribution guy either, but communal living, helping the sick and the poor, being cool to each other - that’s Jesus, man,” Derrick says, taking a hit and passing the joint.

“I don’t know, D,” Zac says, taking a hit and holding it for a minute. Releasing a cloud of smoke, he says. “I’ve never believed in much of anything. And what I did last night with Sadie Cober is on the wrong side of holy. I know Jesus isn’t into that kind of behavior. Or this behavior for that matter.”

Taking the joint back from Zac, Derrick asks, “Do you like her?”

“I don’t know. I hear she likes me, and I like sex. She is pretty cool though. What do you think?”

“Respect her,” Derrick says on the exhale. “If you just want sex, you can get that from somebody who just wants sex. You two might be right for each other. I know you’re always itching, man, but you might want to focus on locking her down.”

“I’ve never been in a relationship before,” Zac says as he tries to picture himself with one person. He knocks some ash off and blows on the cherry.

“Well, if you want sex all the time, and I know you do, then you need to lock it down with someone and she’s a quality girl you have things in common with. Give her a chance.”

“Yeah, maybe I will. I’ll call her tomorrow,” Zac says as takes a long, slow drag. On the exhale he says, “She’ll look good in the passenger seat of my flying car.”

“I’m telling you man, communal. We’re going back to horses, like the Amish,” Derrick says taking the joint from Zac.

Zac laughs out loud. “There is no way we’re going back to horses. That will slow trade. I’m sorry, D, but the elite will always rule the world and we will always be their minions. They will protect their wealth. Are you ready for another beer?”

“Yeah, I’ll take one,” Derrick says, slamming down the little bit he has left. “But that’s what I’m saying, Bro. There could be a whole change in mind set. The billionaires and millionaires will realize they don’t need all that money and end world hunger. We as a society will realize we don’t need all these luxuries and revert to former ways of living, sharing products and services instead of selling them.”

“I think you’re dreaming. We’ll progress forward with new innovations that solve the world’s problems,” Zac says, putting the roach out in his ashtray.

“Like what,” Derrick asks.

Zac lights a cigarette. “I don’t know. I see advancements in space travel and colonization among the stars. We’ll live in biodomes on planets and moons as we spread out through the solar system. Perhaps here on Earth there will be more modest ways of living, but with more digital comforts making it possible.”

“Yeah, but you’re talking about a technologically advanced society, where everything is digitally automated. There will be fewer jobs and more poverty. Those digital comforts will just be for the elites.”

“Maybe to some extreme, but you will always need people to program, maintain, operate, and repair. I think we will witness a new line of skilled trades being established, replacing less skilled labor. Speaking of labor, how is work?”

“Twelve-hour days trying to make up for all that rain last week. It’s good because I need to make that money back, but construction is hard on you, Z. I shower, eat, and sleep, waking up feeling like I was beaten by a baseball bat in my sleep. But I can’t complain too much. It has been good to me. The work is steady. The pay is great. These are rare circumstances. How about you?”

“I wish I could say my jobs been good to me. They’re running us ragged. We’ve been on ten-hour shifts six days a week for fourteen months trying to keep up with demand. They refuse to hire help because they invested in this streamlined system that is supposed to make our jobs easier so we can produce more. What it has done is make us work harder with fewer people for longer hours. If that’s not bad enough, we watched two production cells get packed up for Mexico and three for China. Worst of all this is the third year in a row they have frozen our cost-of-living increase,” Zac says, getting infuriated with the thought of work.

“See, that is one of the things I think will change. That greedy attitude that drives employers to abuse their employees.”

“It’s not going to change. It will take more than a meteor to change that.”

“No wonder you see a future where people are replaced by machines.”

“I think people will still be utilized, just not in the same capacity. But how about this, what if we are wrong and this is some kind of omen like the coming of the antichrist,” Zac suggests.

“Maybe, the antichrist does come before Jesus returns. Maybe it’s a sign of the rapture.”

“What in the bloody hell is a rapture?”

“It’s when all the Christians get sucked into heaven so they don’t have to go through all the bad things the Bible says will happen before Jesus returns,” Derrick explains.

“Once again, I don’t think I believe in such things. Maybe a zombie apocalypse or computers turning on us.”

“The Z-poc, yes we need a plan in case the dead start walking.”

“I suggest a Z-poc evacuation plan at work. I got reprimanded for not taking the meeting seriously,” Zac says with a laugh.

“I guess you can’t really plan for zombies. You just have to use what weapon is at your disposal and fight.” Derrick looks at his watch. “It’s almost time. Do you want to step outside and see if we can find it?”

“Do you want me to roll another one really quick.”

Derrick considers it and responds with a “Yeah, why not.”

“So, I guess we can agree that we feel there is going to be, or at least should be, some sort of change that comes with the passing of this meteorite,” Zac confirms as he crumbles bud onto the paper.

“I don’t think we even scratched the surface on things that could, or should change, Z. The world has to be more messed up than at any other point in history despite our achievements and advancements. But yes, mankind will go through an awakening of sorts and the world will change, like during the Renaissance or something.”

“Here you go, man. You do the honors. I’m going to grab two more beers and then grab the chairs out of trunk.”

Derrick steps out of the car and lights the joint, puffing at it. “They say this thing is going to light up the night sky like it’s day.”

“That’s what I heard too, D,” Zac says as he sets up the chairs. They sit down and crack open fresh beers. Derrick takes another hit and passes it to Zac.

“Do you see that star in the sky rapidly getting bigger? That has to be it,” Derrick points out to Zac.

Zac and Derrick sit in silence passing the joint and swigging their beers as the meteor becomes too bright to look at and the darkness dissipates like it’s sunrise. Then, the ground begins to tremble, evolving into a roaring, violent quake that throws Zac and Derrick from their chairs. They try to regain their footing but cannot gain their balance. Explosions small and large, near and far, fill the night’s air. Zac and Derrick startle and cover their heads in confusion. The shaking lasts so long Zac thinks his beer is going to come back up. As the light fades and darkness returns the shaking stops.

“An earthquake? Here,” questions Zac as he gets up, dusting himself off.

“We’re in the New Madrid Seismic Zone,” Derrick tells him. “Do you want to check the radio for news?”

 Zac nods, “Yeah, I think we ought to.”

“Reports coming in… the meteor passed directly between the Earth and moon disrupting the gravitational pull… tidal waves up to a mile high have hit all coastlines… earthquakes in every seismic zone… landslides… infrastructure damage… rivers diverting natural courses and dam destruction causing severe flash flooding… volcanic eruptions… super volcanoes have erupted, all six super volcanoes have erupted, volcanic winter imminent… Billions already presumed dead…”

“That’s not the change either of us were expecting,” Derrick says.

“I wonder what life will be like now,” Zac wonders out loud.