that they could report to their superiors. Yuri had not been at this job very long and was therefore always desperate to make some discovery that could get him in the good graces of the 'higher-ups.' Alexei, on the other hand, had been at this job for years and had grown complacent when it came to his work. He could remember being young and eager like Yuri, but he also knew that in the Russian work force – especially working in this kind of military position – his young coworker would be never likely be rewarded for his hard work. The young man would learn...
"Quickly, Alexei. Come here and look at this."
Alexei hurriedly put down the coffeepot – spilling some on his shoes in the process – and ran across the room. Yuri moved out of the way and allowed Alexei to look through the telescope.
"What am I supposed to be looking at this time?"
"It's the same spot in space, but I pulled the magnification back. Don't you see that small dot of light approaching the area I was talking about?"
Indeed, Alexei noted that a small dot – probably some sort of asteroid or comet – was rapidly approaching where Yuri thought a black hole existed. Alexei's curiosity was now piqued and he walked over to a nearby computer. After clicking and typing away for a few moments, he turned back to Yuri, who was again staring into the telescope.
"Yuri, what are the exact coordinates of your black hole?"
Yuri pulled himself away from the telescope and retrieved a small note pad from his workstation. He gave the notepad to Alexei and glanced at the computer screen, where he saw a logo for NASA.
"An American web site?" Yuri asked. "How do you have such access to that information?"
Alexei laughed at the boy's naiveté, as he typed the set of coordinates into a database. It only took a few seconds to retrieve the information he was after.
"My dear boy. I know you think I am a lazy old fool, but this old fool still has a few tricks which you could learn one day. The spot you see is called Comet Clement. It was discovered only a few years ago by, who else?,,, an American. It is approximately two and a half kilometers large, much bigger than most other comets and asteroids."
"Is it a threat to Earth?" Yuri asked, suddenly very concerned. A part of him was nervous about the possibility of a comet striking the Earth, but an even bigger part of him was excited that they may have discovered something very important. If his discovery could avoid the Earth's destruction, then his superiors would have to notice how good of a job he was doing. Maybe he could even finagle a promotion out of the deal and get out of this awful job detail…
"Oh yes, it is very dangerous to the world," Alexei said, chuckling. "In just about 15 years, it will be passing within 400 million miles of Earth."
"That is not very close at all," Yuri said, again disappointed. "I wonder what happens when a comet encounters a black hole."
"Well, if you are right, Comrade, we are about to find out."
The two men walked back over to the telescope and Yuri was suddenly excited again. At the very least, he hoped that the comet's approach would give him an answer about his black hole.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
DEEP SPACE
Comet Clement – a two and a half kilometer-sized chunk of rock and ice – sped through the depths of space at nearly fifteen miles per second. Shaped more like a football than a baseball, the comet appeared to be glowing, as clouds of water vapor surrounded it for thousands of miles in every direction. It also had a very lengthy 'tail,' which was composed mostly of dust and trailed in the comet's wake for millions of miles. In existence for thousands of years, Comet Clement silently stalked through the vastness of space, decimating any small object
"Quickly, Alexei. Come here and look at this."
Alexei hurriedly put down the coffeepot – spilling some on his shoes in the process – and ran across the room. Yuri moved out of the way and allowed Alexei to look through the telescope.
"What am I supposed to be looking at this time?"
"It's the same spot in space, but I pulled the magnification back. Don't you see that small dot of light approaching the area I was talking about?"
Indeed, Alexei noted that a small dot – probably some sort of asteroid or comet – was rapidly approaching where Yuri thought a black hole existed. Alexei's curiosity was now piqued and he walked over to a nearby computer. After clicking and typing away for a few moments, he turned back to Yuri, who was again staring into the telescope.
"Yuri, what are the exact coordinates of your black hole?"
Yuri pulled himself away from the telescope and retrieved a small note pad from his workstation. He gave the notepad to Alexei and glanced at the computer screen, where he saw a logo for NASA.
"An American web site?" Yuri asked. "How do you have such access to that information?"
Alexei laughed at the boy's naiveté, as he typed the set of coordinates into a database. It only took a few seconds to retrieve the information he was after.
"My dear boy. I know you think I am a lazy old fool, but this old fool still has a few tricks which you could learn one day. The spot you see is called Comet Clement. It was discovered only a few years ago by, who else?,,, an American. It is approximately two and a half kilometers large, much bigger than most other comets and asteroids."
"Is it a threat to Earth?" Yuri asked, suddenly very concerned. A part of him was nervous about the possibility of a comet striking the Earth, but an even bigger part of him was excited that they may have discovered something very important. If his discovery could avoid the Earth's destruction, then his superiors would have to notice how good of a job he was doing. Maybe he could even finagle a promotion out of the deal and get out of this awful job detail…
"Oh yes, it is very dangerous to the world," Alexei said, chuckling. "In just about 15 years, it will be passing within 400 million miles of Earth."
"That is not very close at all," Yuri said, again disappointed. "I wonder what happens when a comet encounters a black hole."
"Well, if you are right, Comrade, we are about to find out."
The two men walked back over to the telescope and Yuri was suddenly excited again. At the very least, he hoped that the comet's approach would give him an answer about his black hole.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
DEEP SPACE
Comet Clement – a two and a half kilometer-sized chunk of rock and ice – sped through the depths of space at nearly fifteen miles per second. Shaped more like a football than a baseball, the comet appeared to be glowing, as clouds of water vapor surrounded it for thousands of miles in every direction. It also had a very lengthy 'tail,' which was composed mostly of dust and trailed in the comet's wake for millions of miles. In existence for thousands of years, Comet Clement silently stalked through the vastness of space, decimating any small object
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