Anthony Higgins: What if the world ended at 4, but work goes till 5?

Trigger warning: Existential dread.

Present:

Anthony Higgins' dead eyes were staring at the computer screen that had gone out, along with all the lights in the entire block.

His fingers moved up to rub them as his brain reconsidered walking out on his job and joining either the riots or the orgies that were the most likely reason for the black-out.

730 days prior:

The news, that had astronomers and astrophysicists all over the world in uproar passed the rest of the world by almost completely ignored: The cosmic background radiation was increasing in amplitude.

700 days prior:

The world had a harder time ignoring the press conferences that 104 groups of astronomers had coordinated to be held at the same time all over the globe.

“If you have paid attat... attention...”, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson was swaying behind the podium. One of his colleagues gave him a stern glare and even if the microphones didn't pick up what he said, it was clear what he wanted.

“No's my tu... nose...”, Dr. Tyson as well as several other professors and doctors started giggling. They all had bloodshot eyes.

The stern astrophysicist tapped his watch.

“Srry. So background radiation has been getting biggerer...er. We were like what? Than profss... profsss... profess...”, he leaned onto the podium more and more and finally the seemingly only sober scientist there had enough and pushed him aside. The famous TV-scientist woke up from the rough treatment but in between fits of giggling he could muster much resistance before falling asleep on the floor.

“Hello.

If you have been paying attention, you have heard news of increase in cosmic background radiation”, he spoke clearly albeit with a thick Russian accent.

“This was first considered measuring mistake, because how? How energy in entire universe increase? Two days ago Hubble telescope find another thing odd: Far away galaxies, through telescope look like stars, go poof. Just vanish.

Good news: We find out answer, why radiation increase.

Bad news: Is because universe is going pfft”, using his hands he invoked the image of a balloon deflating.

There was a stunned silence as the reporters and journalists processed, what he had just said. Though most of them understood, what the entire astrological and astrophysical community agreed was happening, He was still assaulted by a stream of questions, demanding him to say something other than what he just did.

“You wonder, how we find out and how missing galaxies is connected. Is odd: Because we is late. As said: Background radiation is increasing. Has been noticed almost three months ago. NASA made first statement only last month, because by then increase so strong, that if trend continue in three years so strong would kill us.

Good news: Radiation not kill us!

When mapping space that no longer observable and missing matter with increasing radiation, we see it fit! Universe is shrinking. Excess energy goes into remaining universe.

More good news: We are right next to center of universe! Is just 12 billion parsecs behind Andromeda!

Honestly is not as good as first good news.”

“So when will this universal shrinking stop?”

“Why would stop? Matter is annihilated. In theory might stop, when energy density is equal to solid matter.”

“When will that be?”

“Not close to when phenomenon reach earth. We already observed long enough to see, how speed change. Won't stop in Milkyway. Honestly would be worse if stopped.

Would be like earth was in... what is word... medical machine to look into brain...

Let's just say would be like earth was in nuclear reactor.”

“Could we possibly put up some kind of shielding, so that”, the scientist interrupted the hopeful reporter.

“You misunderstand. First: If strength was like medical machine, was really unlikely. Would be if collapse slowed by half since we start talking. I can promise: Did not.

Second: In nuclear reactor there is only core that makes radiation. Also at times reactor is off. Radiation is like bombardment. Because of strong radiation is unusual lead plate considered... solid. Will not stop working. But when radiation stronger and longer every shield gets less effective. For sun we have magnetic field. But magnetic field is only so strong. Stronger radiation would need stronger field to deflect. But strong field would harm humans. Would need shielding from shielding,” he chuckled, “Third good news: Radiation won't even bother!

Okay is just first good news again.

I finally tell bad news:

Earth will be gone in about two years. Nothing to be done about it.”

That last sentence could barely be understood over the uproar of the reporters.

In the weeks that followed more and more scientists from all manner of fields looked at the data hoping or being instructed to come to a different conclusion.

Present:

It was only ten days until the universe would end. It might be placebo but throughout the globe people insisted on already feeling warmer and the nights being brighter.

The scientist had assured that the phenomenon would be moving so much faster than the speed of light, that earth would not really suffer any inconvenience leading up to its annihilation.

Anthony Higgins finally got up and knocked on the door of his manager.

“There's a black-out. I can't work without the computer.”

“Shit, corporate won't be happy about that. Your phone is charged?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Clock out for today. I'll text you when we have power again, so you can make up what you missed out on today.”

“Okay, boss.”

Anthony clocked out and left for home. He got paid at the start of the month, which would be in twenty days.

The problem was, that he was supposed to go to work. His big sister had realized his condition early on. Sure he was absolutely brilliant in most matters, but he simply needed an imperative to guide his actions. Once she forgot to write him a meal plan and so he simply that rather than trying to figure out what he should cook and eat, he'd rather not eat for five days.

All in all he was grateful for her custodianship over him. The only thing about it he dislike was being sent to a therapist once every week. She even made him pay the therapist with his own money.

But all in all he was happy.

Until his sister was hit by a drunk driver. She didn't die immediately. She lived long enough to give some last words to a EMP to pass on to him: “Continue going to Dr. Sinclair and make sure whoever you work for doesn't take advantage of you!”

Dr. Sinclair was in the hospital. A patient had not coped well with the prospect of total annihilation.

Part of Anthony's routine he had worked out with his psychiatrist was watching TV, while ironing and folding his laundry.

The TV remained as black as it had been, before Anthony had pressed the button on the remote and the dryer, which he normally switched on before cooking, wasn't working without power either.

Anthony stared at a wet towel for two minutes. Then he finally made a decision.

Twenty minutes later he had several lines spanning across his apartment and his wet laundry hanging from them.

No matter how long the black-out would last, he needed dry laundry. This was the only way to ensure that they would dry, before he ran out of clean clothes and towels.

The next two days Anthony prepared his household for the likely case, that the black-out would last indefinitely. Meaning ten more days. He had not felt this good, since his sister died, he thought, as he tinkered on a pump. He would have to ask for help digging a hole, but this didn't dampen his mood.

What did dampen his mood was the lights going back on.

Sure enough his phone gave a ding, as his manager sent him a message.

His preparations came in handy, as the black-outs went longer the next two times. More people were all to happy to tear down the society that had steered them into midlife crisis, depression and old-age-poverty, and fewer people were willing to keep it functioning.

The second major black-out had lasted three days and no three hours after the power had come back it went away again and Anthony assumed it wouldn't be coming back.

It was 32 hours until the world would end and the night sky already clearly showed it: There were noticeably fewer stars in the sky, than just a few days ago.

Anthony had come to a conclusion, what he was supposed to do:

Enjoy himself.

He had made sure his watch would last long enough. He had thirty hours to find out, what that meant, two to do it.

It took him three hours. Then he had reached the library of the local university. A group of students and professors had decided that the fire-hazard was absolutely worth it and handed out candles to any visitor otherwise willing to adhere to library etiquette. Of course it was still handled rather loosely and so to the sound of a bookclub discussing their favorite escapist fantasy Anthony spent his last day on earth inhaling textbooks for all manner of science.