“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. Using the location provided, you must write a piece of flash fiction of no more than 150 words. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page, from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s prompt is Happy Jack, Arizona.
I found that while Happy Jack itself has few people and less history, the Lowell observatory is only twenty miles away and is one of the premier observatories in North America.
Extinction level event
Abe fiddled with his calendar. He flipped three prints of a starfield onto his desk.
“What do you make of these, Slim?” He pointed to each in turn. “29th. 30th. Last night.” The images showed the stars being obscured over a progressively larger area.
Slim looked, frowned, checked that the codes on the prints tallied with Abe’s account, and paled.
“You found this on the main instrument?” His voice was husky with apprehension. “But that’s an area of sky that I surveyed with the 0.6 metre Schmidt last week. There was nothing there then. This means…”
“That’s what I thought too. The centre of the obscured area doesn’t change.”
“It’s heading straight for us,” whispered Slim.
He straightened. “I’ll have to tell the Director.”
“How about checking on the Schmidt again? Just to be thorough.”
“Good idea.”
As Slim bustled out, Abe chuckled at his calendar.
“April Fool,” he murmured.
Ha!!!! This is wonderful!!! We all need a good gotcha’ moment right now. Thanks.
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Dear Lish
Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m so glad you liked my gotcha moment!
With very best wishes
Penny
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You me had me in too Penny !!😄
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Dear Ivor
Thank you for reading and commenting. Gotcha! The story’s a little late, of course…Nice to hear from you again. I hope all is going well for you.
With very best wishes
Penny
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I try to catch up with those who I follow as often as I can… My blog site, seems to out grown me… I never expected this volume 3 years ago !!
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Yes, blogging can become all-consuming, can’t it?
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It keeps me busy, which is ok during our present crisis. 🌏
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Haha, great idea! Poor Slim!
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Dear Christine
Thank you for reading and commenting. I think Slim must have been a freshman researcher, otherwise he’d never have fallen for the gag!
With best wishes
Penny
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This is great. I went to school in Flagstaff and took a couple trips to the Lowell. You perfectly capture the vibe of the astronomers who studied there. Great dialogue.
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Dear Josh
Thank you for reading and commenting. Lucky you, living so near to the Lowell, and visiting a couple times. If I’d been in your position I’d have wanted to get a vacation job there! Looking at their visitors’ guide, they’re a really dynamic organisation, with kit to die for, and a wonderful tie-in with the Discovery Channel.
With very best wishes
Penny
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Dear Penny,
This is wickedly wonderful! The dialogue was spot on. Brava!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
Thank you for reading and commenting. What a wonderful knack you have of giving supportive comments!
Shalom
Penny
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LOL! You got me! That’s an excellent story. So chilling, topped with the perfect punchline.
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Dear Karen
Great to see you back! Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m glad the punchline worked for you!
With very best wishes
Penny
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Ooh, Abe is quite the trickster! I’ll admit that I’m terrible with these pranks — if I were Slim, I would have bought it, hook, line, and sinker — and been terrified! Hopefully he’d be too relieved when he found it wasn’t true to be angry though.
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Dear Joy
Thank you for reading and commenting. I imagined Abe as an older man, perhaps in his fifties, with a wicked sense of humour. But there is a purpose behind his prank. Young researcher, Slim, needs to learn two very important things; firstly, to examine the evidence more closely – there are all sorts of things wrong with Abe’s photo-shopped images; and secondly, to make his first response to significant data that of checking.
I was once a chemist, and lab manager, and if ever I had an odd result, I checked it, and did it again!
With very best wishes
Penny
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Ah yes, very good points! Now that I re-read it, I see what you were hinting at better.
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You certainly rose to the occasion with a story that got me in as almost much as the victim of Abe’s April Fools prank. What a great idea for inspiration!
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Dear James
Thank you for reading and commenting. You are right; ‘What Pegman Saw’ is a wonderful spur to the imagination! You’d be very welcome to join in!
With best wishes
Penny
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