There was always a rivalry between ISRO and NASA. One prioritised cost, the other prioritised innovation. One worked within tight budgets, the other had the resources of a superpower. For decades, they competed, each pushing the limits of space exploration in their own way. But in the year 2040, none of that mattered anymore. Three massive asteroids were on a collision course with Earth. If they struck, civilization as humanity knew it would be wiped out. For the first time in history, the world’s greatest space agencies had no choice but to work together.

Vikram Rao sat at the long, polished conference table in ISRO’s international coordination room. The walls were lined with satellite images of Earth, a stark reminder of what was at stake. A large screen at the front of the room flickered to life, connecting them to NASA’s headquarters. Across the world, in a similarly high-tech boardroom, Katherine Hughes leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. She had dealt with world leaders, billionaires, and even military generals in high-stakes negotiations. But there was something uniquely frustrating about dealing with Vikram Rao. A dozen other faces joined the call—scientists from ESA, Roscosmos, CNSA, and JAXA. The world had come together, but everyone knew this was NASA and ISRO’s problem to solve.

Katherine wasted no time. “Let’s get one thing straight—we don’t have time for bureaucracy. If we argue over international politics, we’ll all be dead before we reach a decision.”

A Chinese official cleared his throat. “With all due respect, Dr. Hughes, we are discussing an unprecedented situation. Each nation has its own interests.”

Vikram spoke before Katherine could explode. “Earth is our interest. Either we all survive together, or we all die together.” His voice was calm but firm. “We have six months. If we don’t act now, we may not even have that.”

Silence.

Katherine leaned forward. “Alright, Rao. You clearly have a plan. Let’s hear it.”

Vikram nodded. “We can’t treat this as one problem. We have three asteroids, three different impact zones, and limited resources. We need a multi-phase strategy.” He tapped on his tablet, and a simulation appeared on the main screen. Three asteroid paths, three solutions.

The first asteroid was the fastest-moving but the least dense. “NASA’s nuclear payload system can break it apart, but we need to ensure precise detonation. A mistargeted blast could turn it into thousands of deadly fragments.”

Katherine nodded. “We can handle the explosives. But you want ISRO to do the calculations?”

Vikram smirked. “Unless you’d rather guess?”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. You handle the math, we handle the firepower.”

The second asteroid was trickier. It was too dense for a nuclear detonation to be effective. ISRO had been developing kinetic impactor satellites—essentially, controlled collisions. If they hit it hard enough at the right angle, they could alter its trajectory.

Katherine hesitated. “Kinetic impactors are slow. What if it doesn’t move far enough in time?”

Vikram’s expression didn’t change. “Then it hits.”

Silence. No one argued.

The third asteroid was the biggest, and it was moving unpredictably. If they miscalculated, it wouldn’t just destroy a city—it would trigger global extinction.

Katherine exhaled, looking at the last and most dangerous asteroid. “And this one?”

Vikram’s face was unreadable. “This one requires both of us.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“This asteroid is the biggest, and it’s moving unpredictably. If we miscalculate, it won’t just destroy a city—it’ll trigger global extinction.”

Katherine’s fingers tapped against the desk. “You’re thinking high-powered lasers.”

“Yes. But with ISRO’s AI-driven course correction.”

She let out a low whistle. “That’s… risky.”

“It’s necessary.”

Another silence.

Finally, Katherine smirked. “Alright, Rao. Looks like we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”

Vikram chuckled. “Try to keep up.”

The world watched as NASA and ISRO joined forces. Across both agencies, teams worked day and night. In Houston, engineers prepped nuclear warheads. In Bengaluru, Vikram’s team fine-tuned trajectory models. The best minds in the world set aside rivalry, working toward a single goal—saving Earth.

With three months left, the first launch sequence began.

Katherine and Vikram stood in Hawaii’s Space Command Center, their joint operations base. It was neutral ground, but the tension was anything but.

“This is your last chance to back out,” Katherine teased as they stood before the massive countdown screen.

Vikram glanced at her. “Is that what you’d do?”

She grinned. “Hell no.”

The final countdown began.

Three. Satellites locked on target.

Two. Command stations went silent.

One.

Launch.

The first payload ignited, streaking toward the first asteroid. The fate of humanity had left Earth.

Live broadcasts showed the first nuclear payload streaking through the void, a silver dart against the infinite blackness. If anything went wrong—if the warhead missed, if the calculations were even slightly off—the asteroid would fragment into a thousand deadly pieces.

Inside the mission control bunker in Hawaii, Vikram and Katherine stood side by side, staring at the data feeds. Every number, every trajectory calculation mattered.

A voice crackled over the comms. "Payload approaching target. Detonation in T-minus 60 seconds."

The bunker was silent. No one dared to breathe.

Vikram’s eyes flicked to the telemetry. Something was off.

“Wait,” he muttered, fingers flying across the console.

Katherine tensed. “What?”

Vikram’s heart pounded. The asteroid’s rotation was slightly faster than predicted. If they detonated now, the explosion wouldn’t hit the core—it would barely scratch the surface.

He turned sharply. “We need to delay detonation by 14 seconds.”

The lead technician hesitated. “Sir, the sequence is locked.”

Katherine grabbed the radio. “Mission Control, override detonation. Adjust timing—Rao’s calculations.”

A pause. Then, a tense voice: “Override authorized. Adjusting sequence.”

The seconds ticked by. Five… Four… Three…

In the depths of space, the payload reached its target.

Two… One…

A flash. A silent explosion, brighter than the sun.

The asteroid shuddered, fractured, and then—shifted. It veered off course, pushed just enough to miss Earth.

Inside mission control, the silence shattered into cheers and applause. Engineers hugged. Reporters scrambled to capture the moment.

Katherine exhaled, running a hand through her hair. “Not bad, Rao.”

Vikram allowed himself a small smile. “One down.”

But they both knew—the hardest battles were yet to come.

Unlike the first asteroid, the second one couldn’t be blown up. It was dense, heavy, and resistant to explosives. The only way to stop it was to physically shove it off course. The world turned to ISRO’s Kinetic Impactor Satellites. Small, fast, and precise, they were designed to slam into the asteroid at high velocity—like cosmic bullets.

Hours passed as the satellites raced toward the asteroid. Finally, the first impactor struck—a direct hit. A second later, the next one crashed into the surface. Then the third. The asteroid’s trajectory was shifting.

For the first time, Katherine was speechless. “Well, damn. That actually worked.”

Vikram’s smile was small but proud. “Two down.”

Only one remained. And it was the worst of all.

The third asteroid was massive. If it struck, there would be no survivors. The laser on the International Space Station was their last hope. The countdown began. But an error alarm blared—the asteroid’s rotation was fluctuating. The laser missed its mark.

Vikram’s face was pale. They had failed.

But then, an idea struck him. “Wait… What if we use the ISS itself?”

Katherine’s eyes widened. “That’s insane.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

The ISS tilted. The laser fired again. The asteroid shifted. More. More. Then—off course.

The world had been saved. Not by one agency, but by two. Not by rivals, but by allies. And as Vikram and Katherine looked at each other, both knew: this was only the beginning.

A stunned silence filled the control room. No one moved, no one spoke. Then, as the asteroid’s trajectory confirmed its safe course away from Earth, a wave of cheers erupted. Engineers leaped from their seats, scientists hugged, and exhausted operators slumped in their chairs, overwhelmed with relief. Across the globe, billions of people watching the live feed broke into celebration. Cities erupted in fireworks, news channels declared it the greatest achievement of human cooperation, and for the first time in history, the world truly felt united.

Vikram exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples. His entire body was drained, yet his mind still raced. Katherine, standing beside him, let out a long breath before turning to him.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” she muttered, running a hand through her hair. “We actually did it.”

Vikram managed a tired smile. “You sound surprised.”

She scoffed. “We were one miscalculation away from turning the ISS into space debris. I’d say ‘surprised’ is putting it lightly.”

Their earpieces crackled to life as world leaders flooded the channel. The President of the United States, the Prime Minister of India, and representatives from every major space agency congratulated them. Medals would be awarded, statues would be built, and books would be written about this moment.

But right now, Vikram and Katherine just wanted to sit down.

As they stepped out of mission control, the weight of the past few days finally hit them. The exhaustion, the pressure, the fear—all of it. Katherine leaned against a wall, shaking her head. “I think I need about a month of sleep.”

Vikram chuckled, stretching his sore shoulders. “You and me both.”

She glanced at him, smirking. “You know, I never thought I’d say this, but working with you wasn’t the worst thing in the world.”

He raised an eyebrow. “High praise coming from you.”

She extended her hand. He stared at it for a moment before shaking it firmly. The rivalry that had once fueled their careers had now evolved into something else—respect, maybe even friendship.

As the world celebrated its survival, Vikram took a deep breath. "You know, Katherine," he said, "this whole thing proves something important."

She tilted her head. "What's that?"

He looked around at the people in the control room—scientists, engineers, leaders from every corner of the world. "That competition drives us forward, but cooperation is what truly saves us."

Katherine nodded slowly. "And that no matter how advanced we get, there will always be challenges bigger than our differences. The only way forward is together."

Vikram smiled. "Maybe one day, we won't wait for disaster to work as one."

She chuckled. "One can only hope."

As they stepped outside, the sun was rising—a new day, a new era. The world had learned a lesson it should never forget: borders, rivalries, and politics meant nothing in the face of true survival. The only way humanity would endure was by standing together.