A Short Story: The Decision That Saved Humanity

Author’s Note: The short story below is the tenth in an ongoing series. If you’ve been following along, you know that I received a treasure trove of writing prompts a few months back and have been using them as a source of creative inspiration. The process is pretty simple: I take two cards, blend them together, and write whatever comes to mind. This week’s topic: “Person who refuses to fit in” and “Declaration of war.” Read on and enjoy! And, if the mood strikes, feel free to take a crack at your own story in the comments based on this combo!

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He paced the room, a cavernous space lined with connected desks, each occupied and abuzz. It was a Command Center; an action station where some of the world’s most important and generation-defining decisions were made. Declarations of war, discreet military strikes, and acts of peace. It all happened here and, on this day, facing a new kind of enemy, the decisions made in this room carried heavy implications.

“What’s the latest?” Major General John Ramsey stopped pacing and peered over the shoulder of a woman seated at one of the room’s many computer stations. She stared at a radar, speckled with dots of varying shapes and sizes. A puzzle to some, but Debra Carpenter saw the picture clearly. “Have they accelerated?”