End of Days is one of the ten short stories in 
Mindscapes: Ten Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction Short Stories (C)
 2014 by Victor D. López. It is also available as a stand alone short 
story for the Kindle reader and can be downloaded free of charge for two
 days only (April 9-10, 2014). Mindscapes is available in both paperback
 (6″x9″ size) and kindle formats and is currently under production as an
 audiobook to be released this spring through Audible, iTunes and 
Amazon.
End of Days poses a novel theory as to the role of black holes in 
both the creation and destruction of an endless number of universes that
 coexist in an incomprehensibly complex multiverse. It is a cautionary 
tale about the arrogance of scientists who are the cosmic equivalent of 
amoebas attempting to discern the secrets of the universe by thoroughly 
examining within the limits of their perception the drop of pond scum 
they inhabit. It is also a cautionary tale about the ability of 
determined, creative terrorists to begin the process that will lead to 
the destruction of our corner of the multiverse by the creative use of 
materials at their disposal.
The end is very, very near and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.
You can go to the story’s Amazon page (and also the Mindscapes page) 
by clicking on the appropriate link above or the relevant book covers 
below.
 
 
This book is a compilation of 10 science fiction and speculative 
fiction short stories by the author from his two previous short story 
collections, Book of Dreams and Book of Dreams 2nd Edition, as well as 
two new stories written in 2013. Its scope extends from the innermost 
dimensions of the mind to the outer reaches of the universe, focusing 
from diverse perspectives on some common themes as to the meaning of 
life, the superlative strength and wrenching weakness of the human 
spirit, the power of love and the exquisite pain and ecstasy that flesh 
is heir to in its perpetual struggle between the duality of human nature
 that reflected both the divine and the profane.
In very broad outline, the ten stories involve the following themes:
If necessity is the mother of invention, could humanity use present 
technology to find a way to propagate its seed when faced with the 
certainty of an extinction-level event in less than two years’ time?
What really caused the catastrophic failure after the first 
full-scale test of the Large Hadron Collider? Motivated, ingenious 
terrorists are about to try their own field experiment to replicate the 
classified results of the test on a large scale using two suitcase nukes
 and a modified jetliner in an attack that, if successful, will 
eradicate all life on earth, destroy our corner of the universe and, in 
time, give birth to a new addition to the multiverse.
If we could communicate with the other sentient, intelligent species 
with whom we share our planet, what vital lessons might we learn from 
them and they from us?
In a not too distant future in which all human beings on earth are 
connected and integrated into a single neural net, what price might be 
exacted for one wishing to opt out?
Egyptologists and historians have long debated the riddle of the 
Sphinx–its true origins, its too-small human head and the pharaoh it was
 intended to represent. What if the riddle could be revealed live, in 
prime time, to an attentive world-wide audience upon the excavation of a
 chamber buried stories beneath its right paw?
What price would you pay to revisit a crossroad in your life when you
 had made a terrible, life altering mistake? Would you give up an 
unfulfilled life for the chance of virtual happiness in an alternate 
reality?
Would you sacrifice everything if you could attain absolute knowledge? If so, could you live with the knowledge you attained?
It is said that no man is an island, but what if even the least among us is a god in his/her own right?
If an alien visitor offered you a lifetime of health and the gift of 
telepathy for a small service, would you be quick to accept?
If we purportedly use only a small fraction of our brain’s capacity, 
what possible purpose does the apparently unused portion serve?
Above are some of the questions raised in this collection of science 
fiction and speculative fiction short stories that explores the 
interrelationship between dreams and reality, the nature of reality 
itself, and the dangers attendant to the single-minded pursuit of wish 
fulfillment that all too often results in unexpected and unwanted 
consequences.
The author is an Associate Professor of Legal Studies at Hofstra 
University’s Frank G. Zarb School of Business and has previously 
published seven non-fiction books through traditional publishers. His 
business law and legal environment textbooks have been used in colleges 
and universities throughout the United States since 1993. He has also 
published a book of poems and the two previous noted books of short 
stories since 2011.
For more information about the author’s books, textbooks, scholarly articles and blogs, you can visit 
victordlopez.com.