Jack Nolan had come to the party expecting a good time, a couple of drinks and maybe to spend the end of his evening in the company of a pretty girl. And when he had rolled out of his parent's garage in his beaten down Toyota Ute dust swirling and eddying lightly on the ground around him because of the morning wind all had seemed to be par the course. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and he was feeling good about the night to come.

He sure as shit wasn't expecting to be clubbing some crazy fucker over the head with an old lamp. This was not how he had planned his evening.

Jack had been spending the evening in the company of Zoe Briaas a girl he had known from school. The same however could be said for each and every one of the partygoers, they were celebrating their high school graduations.

I digress, however. Jack was looming over the poor girl, failing to notice in his inebriated state how terrible his breath smelt. This was when he heard the violent rapport of flesh impacting flesh.

Jack had then wheeled about like a frightened herd animal, fearful for his own safety when he saw a pretty girl go down blood spewing from her face in a profane fountain.

The poor boy didn't know what it was but before he could think he was on his feet and charging to the raven-haired beauties rescue. And like a knight in ripped denim Jack with his unruly mop of orange hair held his mighty weapon high and struck down the offending man. Sending him sprawling into the shag carpet, a relic from livelier times.

The boy then knelt down and began to aid the pretty girl whose name he could not quite remember. It was after several seconds of polite fussing while waiting for someone who knew what they were doing to come and help, to no avail when he was about to turn around and give his audience an ear full, that he realised he was kneeling in the remnants of the man he had hit, or he would have been if he was still there.

It was also about the time that the rest of the partygoers realised that approximately 1/4 of their number had inexplicably disappeared there was no fanfare, no flash of light or smell of sulphur, they were just gone. This coupled with the alcohol and the other stresses of the day finally proved too much for Jack and in good order, he had fainted from the mental stress.

---

"Good evening Pam." Speaks a man with a smile that could blind the vision back into blind people with its brightness just for the sole purpose of blinding them again.

"And good evening to you too Matt. Today we come to you with some breaking news." Says a woman who looks vastly more exasperated than her male counterpart. For example her usually immaculate hair is bedraggled and she had just breached news reporting etiquette by not stating the name of her network. Heresy. Nevertheless, the duo went on.

"That's right Pam today we report to you with heavy hearts the disappearance of one-quarter of the population of the earth. Vanished in the blink of an eye it is truly quite a conundrum Pam, what are your thoughts?" He said smiling openly. This was in complete contrast to the woman known as Pam however, she just stared at him with dead eyes, wondering how he could be so nonchalant about the whole affair, she was only holding it together for the public, maybe if they saw them calm it would help them in their struggles, she couldn't hold the illusion however. Pam stared at him for several more moments before shaking her head and leaving the stage in broken sobs, she had gone to pick up her children earlier to find them missing. It was not her best day.

Matt with the eagerness of a vulture on a fresh piece of carrion moved into the middle of their shared desk, his smile seeming to widen to an even more impossible length.

Matt stared at the camera for several seconds longer, his eyes watering from a lack of blinking before he drew a pistol and splattered his brains against the green screen backdrop of a bustling street. He had just received the news that his daughter had died after her surgeons had disappeared midway during the most critical part of her operation. She was all he had.

The cameras were never rolling, Matt had just convinced Pam they were, he wanted a semblance of normalcy before he went off to meet his daughter. And considering what would happen in the next few days many believed he was right to do so.

---

It was three days after the incident that had been dubbed the disappearing that order finally descended onto the earth. It was not in the form of people however but in men from the stars. They came from distant galaxies on glowing ships of ornate design and craft and within weeks they had restored the human race to order and prosperity.

No-one had to work any longer, the aliens had provided robots to perform tedious tasks for them, the people of earth were told it was a gift for their 'uplifting' a custom that is upheld each time a new sentient species is fond and welcomed to the universal fold, all in the name of the God-Emperor. It was a life of luxury and plenty in which no one wanted for a thing. It was a utopia.

But nothing is given for nothing, a fact that the people of earth questioned at every opportunity, they wondered after their missing friends and family. But every time the question was raised with the universal community they were told to wait. Told it would all become clear soon, so they waited. But the bill always comes due. A fact that approximately 2 billion people were coming to terms with, in a most visceral manner right now. The bill comes due. A fact that would haunt the life of Lawrence Bright forever more.