*****Enjoy the story!*****
Thomas was a happy man. As a scientist, he was able to peer into the mysteries of the universe. What’s more, he liked his job.
And so it was… until the day he joined the Daedalus Project. It was ostensibly a test of the idea of using nuclear bombs to propel spacecraft…
On his first day of work in the cramped offices of the Daedalus Project, he noticed a red button set into the side of his desk.
“What’s that button do?” he asked.
His coworkers didn’t know.
He then promptly forgot about it for the next month, wrestling with delta-vee calculations, strain parameters and magnetodyanamic equations.
One month later, the janitor, Albi came in to tidy up while he was working late into the night.
“What’s that button do?” Thomas asked.
“That button? Why, it destroys the universe.” Albi replied.
What a crank, Thomas thought.
True, he’s a happy fellow, but his wife dying last week seems to have unbalanced him somewhat.“I can see that you don’t believe me.” Albi broke into Thomas’ thoughts.
“I honestly can’t see how you can be right.”
“You scientists… Always thinking that you know best, don’t you?” Albi said, his voice rising to a crescendo. “YOU FOOL! I”LL SHOW YOU!”
With that, he
pounced onto the button and stabbed it savagely with his thumb.
That crazy fool, Thomas thought.
He can’t possibly be true. After all, the universe can’t be destroyed faster than the speed of light. The laws of physics-
A harsh light came in through the blinds. Thomas peeked through, and saw-
The stars, rushing towards the earth, getting bigger by the second-“How- How did you do that?”
“I TOLD YOU!!” Thomas screamed, wrapped in the throes of his madness.
Thomas, Albi and the rest of the universe vanished in an incredible burst of light and heat.
Just then, a ripple passed through the multiverse, and the world snapped back into being.
Thomas felt himself with his hands. “What was that? I thought… I thought the universe was gone? I felt pain… I was burned away!”
His voice was drowned in loud peals of laughter. “I didn't say it wouldn't come back, did I? I scared you didn’t I? The look on your face!” Albi snorted.
Thomas began to feel the first twinges of anger. “Look. If you don’t explain this, I’ll… I’ll go to complain to my boss! And then you’ll get it!”
“Relax.. It’s just a harmless joke. I do this to every new member of staff. You can ask around if you want. Just don’t tell the next one.” Albi replied.
One month later…“Hey Albi, what’s that button do?”
“It destroys the universe, Richard.”
“That can’t be…”
Over the hills and far away...6:38 PM.
