Photo by Nassim Allia on Unsplash
The plasmabolt speared through the atmosphere and carved a hole into the side of a mountain and rapidly moved across the surface of the planet at nearly 1,500 kilometers per hour a little north of equator. Or more accurately, the light destroying a troth less than the width of a human pinky finger remained motionless at the world rotated beneath it. The depth varied with the planet surface but persisted in length. Areas where mountains soared tens of thousands of feet up, it vaporized tens of thousands down. At ocean level, the blade of light danced across waves, burning off the crests. The precise length remaining one third of a meter above sea level.
In twenty-four hours, the weapon, because weapon it was whether malice was intended or not, had cut a path of destruction through the most populated portion of the northern hemisphere at the 25th parallel before winking out.
And restarting in the southern hemisphere, fifteen seconds later.
(words 160, first published 9/14/2022 – from a picture prompt for a Facebook writing group. Aim is about 50 words)
Series: Light Spear
- Light Spear – link to 11/28/2021
- Light Spear Expanded – link to 12/5/2021
