Short Story Fiction Contest May 2014 | Page 132

SENJI PRESIDENT FOUND DEAD

TOKYO (AP) -- President Nakamura of Senji Aeronautics, Inc. was found dead in his Tokyo home this morning after an apparent suicide.

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INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO SPACE CRISIS

LONDON (AP) -- World leaders spoke out today in opposition to Julia Rampersaud's plan to rescue the stranded crew of the Senji Aeronautics asteroid mission.

US President Martha Lebowitz: "Not possible. As everyone knows, such a thing violates dozens of treaties. No country on earth is allowed to hand over a nuclear bomb to a private citizen. It's just not happening. All due respect to Misses Rampersaud, but there's no way we can allow her to take a nuclear bomb onto the space elevator or detonate one in Antarctica. No way."

President Lebowitz chose not to respond to a question asking if it would be possible to take a nuclear bomb to Antarctica if Julia Rampersaud paid for the operation to be carried out by a special UN task force.

On a recording released by an anonymous source, UK Prime Minister John Green said: "We can't even own knives and she thinks we're going to give her nuclear bombs?"

Dr. Jamal Thomas, head of Environmental Studies at Stanford University said: "It's too dangerous to send a bomb up on the space elevator. The only other way would be to blast off from