The Supernova Era

by Liu Cixin

coats of ice. “Let them into the cabins. These kids won’t last long out here before they freeze to death,” Davey said to the captain. “Can’t do that, Mr. President. The cabins are full to bursting with the American kids who came aboard first.” “And the hangars? There’s tons of space in there, enough for a few thousand people. Are those full too?” “They’re full up with planes!” “Then bring the planes up onto the flight deck.” “Impossible. The flight deck already has too many other fighters that the horrible weather forced to make an emergency landing here. See, the elevator to the hangars is completely blocked!” “Then push them into the sea!” And so, one after another, the ten-million-dollar fighter planes were pushed over the side of John C. Stennis and into the ocean, and the broad flight deck quickly filled with more planes brought up from the hangars on the enormous elevator. The international group of children left the deck for the warm refuge of the cavernous hangars, which soon held thousands of occupants. Once the children had warmed up a bit, they gasped in wonder at the sheer size of the carrier. But on the flight deck out in the snowstorm, over a hundred drenched children had frozen to death.