One more. This one is probably just a short story. I keep flashing back to Bill Bryson’s Short History of Nearly Everything and the idea that a meteor 1 mile wide could destroy all life on the planet, as he explains it.
What if two astronomers spotted one that was on course with sufficient velocity to do just that? There’s nothing anyone could do. Do they announce what they have found and when the end will come? Or do they keep it to themselves?
Having two people makes it possible to look at both sides of the story. I think they agree not to tell anyone, not even their own families.
I realize it’s unlikely no one else would spot it, but for reasons of narrative, no one does. Deal with it.
What would you do?