Meteor is Coming

What if the meteor "3122 Florence" hit Earth on 21 February 2017? Let's find out.

Wrong calculations
On 16 February 2017, an astronomer at the W. M. Keck Observatory concludes that the discovery of meteor 3122 Florence contained incorrect calculations back in 1981. According to the correct calculations, the meteor would hit an area near Greenland on the same date predicted in 1981.

This astronomer presented the newly discovered information to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, who then informed President Donald Trump. The president initially considered nuking the meteor, but upon discovering that the object can't be stopped, the decision was to warn the governors of all US states and the leaders of all nations of the incident. To avoid chaos, the world leaders decided not to inform their people of the imminent catastrophe. Instead, they secretly create local emergency committees and began stocking food.

On 19 February 2017, an unknown astronomer leaked all secret information about the meteor online. As a consequence, looting and chaos spread throughout the world.

On 21 February, at 7:48 PM (Washington time zone), 3122 Florence hits Earth.

First five years
Between 7:48 PM and 8:39 PM, the temperature was extremely hot. The exact numbers weren't measured at the time.

Half of the Greenland ice sheet melts and little pieces of the meteorite fall to Earth. Cities are burned and decimated and many perish. At around 7:59 PM, tsunami waves arrive in Iceland and other locations bounded by the Atlantic. People in emergency committee shelters try to communicate with each other, but are unable to do so since most electronic devices broke due to the Electromagnetic Pulse.

When the temperatures finally drop and the meteor's many impacts end, a few people venture outside. They find rubble, dead bodies and a few animals like rats and bugs. Most survivors didn't leave their shelters until all stored food was consumed or became inedible. During the first month after the meteor, survivors try to adapt to the new world outside by hunting animals like rats and scavenging food and fuel.

Due to environmental effects of the impact, the world begins experiencing extremely cold weather, an event that became known as the Dead Cold. The harsh winters kill about 60 percent of survivors worldwide. It also facilitates the way of opportunist groups such as the New Christian Knights (Nuova Cavalleria Cristiana), founded in 2019 in Sicily by a self-proclaimed priest who recruits hungry and hopeless people and begins his reign of terror.

In 2023, the Dead Cold comes to an end.

After the Dead Cold
After the Dead Cold, crops of a few products such as beets and lettuce could now be grown. Previous forms of meat such as steak, poultry and pork, however, are replaced by the flesh of some small animals like shellfish and rats.

Just like food choices, nations also changed. 50 years after the impact, new countries and groups rise from the borders of previous countries. Let's take a look at all changes after the meteor.

To be continued.

Contributors

 * 1) RasputinInvasion
 * 2) Icelandicwriters