BRRRIIINNGGGG!!!

'WHAP!'

"Hope that landed on something soft." Groaning as I cracked an eye open to see where I had slapped my alarm clock to, I spared my other to check the calendar.

And felt a big grin on my face

March 4th. The start of Spring Break, which meant nearly every other student would be gone for the week and a full five days to myself.

With a sigh of contentment, I climbed out of bed and decided to take my time for now before getting down to business. I grabbed my MP3 player and turned on one of my favorite tunes as I went to get dressed.

Before I continue, I probably better introduce myself. My name is Spike Dracson, 19-year-old Sophomore at Emory University. Not really going to bother with listing stuff like sports or what fraternity I'm in. Mostly 'cause...well...I'm not in either. Now I'm no shut-in; but stuff like that just never interested me. I mean, I go to movies, socialize a little, that sorta stuff; but outside of that...meh...

And before you ask why I'm still at the campus while everyone else is partying, at the beach, or both; at six-foot-two and a hundred fifty-seven pounds of lanky, I'm not exactly what you'd call 'beachwear compatible'. Besides, if I did go, I wouldn't be able to do this extra credit project I'd been planning on for a while now. Hell, it'd taken me this long just to earn the teachers' trust for me to use one of the labs by myself.

Anyhow, I finished getting cleaned up and dressed, grabbed my old comb and stared at the spiky green mop on my head...yes, green. Don't ask why, my parents couldn't figure it out and the doctors just attributed it to a genetic anomaly; a recessive gene that malfunctioned somewhere down the line, or something like that. Either way, I tugged the comb through it a couple of times before giving up. Trying to tame this thing was always a lost cause.

Once that was done, I retrieved my clock from it's impact spot (still in one piece, thankfully) and went to hit up the on-campus McD's for some breakfast, then off to work.

-----------Two Hours Later-----------

The Geology Lab: home to the students working on volcanology, seismology, mineral surveys for mines and similar occupations; and all mine for the week. With a tape recorder and a wrapped up bundle.

My reason? A few years ago on a camping trip with my dad, I was scrounging up some rocks to make a campfire ring when I saw it. Stuck in the base of an old dead tree was what I could only assume was a baseball-sized meteorite. I could only guess that it had landed a few days prior since what apparently were scorch marks were still visible around it, at least, they were in the wood that hadn't shattered from the impact. Once I had gotten over my surprise, I went to tell my dad, and after a few minutes of prying with his hatchet we finally worked it loose. I don't know exactly what the odds are, but they must've been pretty good for it to make the trip intact. It was almost a perfect sphere of greyish-blue rock when we got it out.

Ever since then, I'd had it as sort of a memento, setting on a stand on my dresser. Now however, it would help me with my grade point average:

I was going to dissect this meteorite over the break. Setting the bundle on the work table, I unwrapped it to reveal the lump of space rock. Things started out fairly standard: "Spike Dracson. First entry of meteorite analysis. Diameter: Seventy-two-point-three millimeters. Weight: Twenty-two ounces."

Next step was to open it. The lab, thankfully, had a sturdy bandsaw available. What was inside, on the other hand...

It..well, it looked almost oily, it even had the rainbow effect when in the light. But, attempting to scrape a sample up for later proved it was dry.

This had to have been from one of the outer planets, or even outside the solar system! My confusion quickly turned to excitement at that prospect. I'd decided to try and get a sample from the core then go inform one of the professors of my discovery.

I grabbed a hammer and the sharpest chisel I could find, Intent on getting as as intact a piece as I could. Drew it back and I struck true.. Unfortunately, it proved to be a bit more hazardous than I had expected.

Wasn't prepared for the massive flash of white and explosion when I hit.

Before everything went black, I could've sworn I heard a voice giggle, "Oooh, a new neighbor!"

Author's Note

Well, here's the first revised chapter. Figured I'd put in something more substantial than him just passing out and waking up there.