Beyond

John Schwab

With the possibility of a meteor colliding with Earth in the near future, Cole and Maya find a fragile but volatile relationship. They eventually marry and conceive, even though Maya thought a botched abortion had rendered her sterile. He is shot while trying to get into the hospital to meet the baby. Through flash-backs/flash-forwards, he sees that the meteor does not collide with Earth; it is a ship carrying an invading force of aliens. Cole and Maya leave their baby with her parents and take off for uninhabited regions hoping to survive long enough to reach a port on the northeast coast that will take them to Norway. They struggle to find sufficient food and water to survive, often yelling at each other. Is this just a dream concocted by his dying mind, or does he survive the gunshot and find it is reality?—Garon Smith