Summary

The story "Growth" depicts the bleak final days of Earth as humanity faces an impending doom due to an alien ship creating a growing hole in the atmosphere.

Abstract

"Growth" is a science fiction short story that paints a grim picture of a world on the brink of destruction. As a massive alien ship causes a hole in Earth's atmosphere to expand, the protagonist and his friend Tommy confront the reality of their dwindling time left. The narrative captures the despair and hopelessness of the situation, with people reacting in various ways, from denial to hedonism. The protagonist, however, chooses to spend his last moments with his lifelong friend Tommy, reflecting on their shared experiences and the futility of the military's efforts to combat the inevitable. The story is a poignant exploration of human resilience and the bonds of friendship in the face of certain annihilation.

Opinions

The protagonist is skeptical of the government's reassurances, viewing them as empty words in the face of the catastrophic environmental changes.
Tommy's nonchalant attitude and pocketed rocks suggest a desire for control or self-defense in a world spiraling beyond anyone's control.
The author implies a critique of how different segments of society cope with impending doom, from escapism through drugs to defiant acts of intimacy.
The protagonist harbors a sense of defiance, imagining a final act of rebellion against the alien invaders by damaging their ship.
There is a subtle commentary on the human condition, highlighting our innate desire to maintain dignity and courage even when faced with the end of the world.

Growth — A Science Fiction Short

Is there a chance of hope when the destruction won’t stop?

“Did you see it?”

A scuffle resounded as Tommy’s foot scraped across the concrete, the soft buzz of crickets droning nearby disrupted only a little by the disturbance.

“Yeah.” I nodded, not bothering to glance over. Instead, my eyes crept to the sky, the dimming blotches of bruised reds and blacks edging over the horizon. Even through the trees, it was impossible to miss. “How long, now, do you think?”

Tommy shrugged, his jacket jouncing with the rocks he liked to keep in his pockets. Just in case, he always said, if anyone bothered to ask him why they were there. I think he merely enjoyed the feeling of knowing he could defend himself when the bullies came along. They spent a lot of time making Tommy’s life a miserable one.

“I dunno,” he muttered, plopping himself down on the log next to the empty street. “A day? Maybe two? What am I, a scientist?”

No one could ever accuse Tommy of such an aspiring title. If anything, he’d probably make a good experiment.

I don’t even know why he bothered asking me whether I had seen it. Of course I had. Who couldn’t miss the hole in the atmosphere? Or the massive ship the news said was parked a hundred thousand miles away from our little blue planet?

They were taking what we had, what we needed to live, and the hole they made was growing larger by the day. Hell, by the hour, if anyone were to ask me.

No one would, though. Everyone was too wrapped up in their own little shells, wondering whether the destruction was going to end, or who the beings were doing this to us, or why they would bother with it to begin with.

No one knew. I heard my dad saying the government was reassuring everyone they would handle it, that everything was under control, but that was a bunch of crap. Even I could see that.

No, we had a very finite amount of days left and no one knew what to do with them except waste them away. Some people were spending the last moments getting so high they wouldn’t know if a fly landed in their nose or the world blew up around them.

Others were screwing their brains out, a last finger in the air to oblivion, I guess.

As for Tommy and me, we were determined to spend the last hours alive together. It had always been the two of us looking after each other, so why break tradition?

We’d looked after each other almost our whole lives. Another few days wouldn’t make any difference at all.

We saw the Army trucks go by, the guys in the back carrying their big guns and bigger egos, thinking they could do something to stop the world from ending, but me and Tommy knew better. Nothing was going to stop it. Hell, even if the things doing this to us left, the damage they’d done was already far too gone to repair.

The air had been getting hard to breathe for a while, more difficult by the hour. Most people probably wouldn’t even make it to see the moment the hole got so big the entire planet just got sucked up into the vacuum.

I heard that on the news, too, the talking heads all sober and concerned. Dad said they were just fear-mongering, but I could see on his face he was trying to do his best to reassure me. Maybe himself, too.

My rear came down on the log beside Tommy, my arm crossing over his shoulder as he finally put his head into his hands and broke down. The tears were there for me, too, but they were too stuck in my throat to let them loose.

The dying part might not be so bad. If it was quick, anyhow.

Maybe if we were lucky enough to get sucked up into the air, I could grab some of those rocks in Tommy’s pocket and whip them at the ship sucking our planet dry. I could toss them right through that hole and smile, knowing I tried to do something.

It would at least be a pain in the ass to fix the scratch on their paint job.

No way they’d see me afraid, though. I’d never give that satisfaction.

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