[ WP ] You re one of a small group of people who have started colonizing Mars , waking up one morning you are unable to contact Earth and realize that it has been destroyed by a major meteor impact .

`` Just think, one more rock sample and we can go back to the station.'' 
 
 `` Ah, dammit. I do n't even know why we are still out here gathering rocks for NASA anyway. There has got to be at least a ton of red ore in storage already. We'll never get through it all.'' 
 
 `` Quit your whining. You start to head back, I'm just gon na finish digging out this stone. I'll catch up.'' 
 
 Seeing his friend lightly jump away in the direction of the newly constructed Mars Station, Commander Harris continued to try and dig the ground away from around the small lump of iron embedded in the red earth. After hours of digging for different ores and minerals, he had slowly gotten more and more exhausted but this last chunk of metal was seeming to take forever to dig out. 
 
 Finally, after what seemed like an hour he was able to pry the ore from the ground and put it in his ore-cart. The little hovering cart was about the size of one of those old-fashion tea-trolleys on airplanes, except this one suspended itself above the Mars surface with the use of tiny jets. He walked behind the cart and started to push it back to base, when he first began to hear a loud rumble. Slowly, the rumble began to get louder and louder and more violent. Harris was shaken off of his feet and fell to the ground with a thud, while the ore-cart tipped to one side, unable to support the multiple hundreds of kilos of ore in a vertical manner. 
 
 Then he saw it. The insanely bright and hot object appeared on the Mars horizon slowly getting bigger and bigger, bringing with it more intense light and heat. As it passed overhead, he was able to see the object in more detail, it was clearly an asteroid. Despite it glowing brightly, he estimated it to be at least 20 kilometres in diameter. The asteroid passed so close to the planet he would have burned up in the multiple hundreds of degrees of heat being projected down onto the surface if not for his protective suit. 
 
 After several terrifying minutes, the fast-moving asteroid was out of sight, and Harris was finally able to return to his feet. Suddenly he was hit with a wave of fear concerning the safety of his fellow interplanetary explorers. Leaving the toppled ore-cart behind, he hurried in the direction of the Mars Station. 
 
 As soon as he could see the station he breathed a sigh of relief. The buildings were all intact, as was the large dome surrounding them. He could see his fellow astronauts safely moving inside the dome without their gear on. At least their home was n't breached by the gigantic satellite. He reached the airlock doors and began his entrance procedure, the first set of doors opened and he stepped inside, the doors closing behind him with a hiss. The doors in front of him remained tightly sealed as the chamber was pumped full of breathable air. Then the doors in front of him opened and he could finally enter the dome. 
 
 The bio-dome they lived in was breathtaking, amidst the arid redness of the Mars surface the luscious green plants and vegetable gardens were a sight for sore eyes. However now was not the time to admire the view, what they had all just witnessed was a very close brush with death. Harris removed his gear and began to run towards the communication bunker. He had to get in contact with NASA so they could take any necessary action to ensure the safety of the citizens of Earth. 
 
 He sat down at the desk and began attempting to establish a radio link between the Mars Station and Earth. Finally he was connected; 
 
 `` Come in, Mars Station Bravo. What seems to be the matter, over?'' 
 
 `` There is no time to explain, Mars Station Bravo has just had a close encounter with a large satellite of unknown origin, very close to the surface. We believe that Earth could be in immediate danger.'' 
 
 `` Roger that, Mars Station. We will forward you t-'' 
 
 The line cut out, `` Hello?!'' asked Harris, desperate for a response. He kept trying for several minutes with no luck. Harris and his crew speculated the possibility of cosmic radiation associated with the asteroid could have possible damaged communications on Earth. 
 
 Finally they came up with an idea, in an effort to have closer contact with earth they suggested contacting the Lunar base on Earth's only moon. They tried, however after another hour of attempting to message both the Lunar Base and Earth they had made no progress on communications. 
 
 Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Mars Stations communication bunker crackled to life. They were using a more old-fashion radio signal specifically designed for such emergencies. 
 
 `` Come in, Mars Station Bravo! Come in!'' 
 
 `` We read you loud and clear!'' answered Harris. 
 
 `` This is Lunar Station Alpha, I do n't know how to tell you this but... Earth does n't exist anymore.'' 
 
 Harris and his crew, who were all standing by the radio were shocked. 
 `` But, how? What happened...? There is no way the asteroid that passed by us covered the distance fast enough.'' 
 
 `` The asteroid that passed by you was not the one that took out Earth. From our station we can see hundreds. The only way we survived was because a gigantic asteroid broke our orbit. The same thing happened to you. We're both floating freely away from the sun.'' 
 
 Harris and his fellow astronauts looked at each other in disbelief, everything they had known and loved back home no longer existed. From that point on, they were on their own. 
 
 
 
 Nice premise! Sorry I did n't quite stick to the rules, I changed it a little but only realised once I finished. Either way, loved the idea and keep it up! 
 
 If you got to this point, I'll presume you either managed to finish my story, or just skipped to the end. I would like to become a better writer as time goes on so any feedback is appreciated. Thanks: )
