Final Examination

A first-person narrator observes distant stars vanishing from the Milky Way and follows how the phenomenon spreads and intensifies. Scientists, amateur observers, newspapers, and neighbors offer competing explanations that range from astrophysical causes to invasion theories. An unexplained disembodied voice then announces a planetary judgment scheduled in five days, prompting escalating fear, rumor, and attempts at practical preparation. The narrative examines how ordinary routines, speculation, and human frailty persist and collide under impending cosmic scrutiny, blending speculative premise with satirical observations about public reaction and meaning-making.