I'm pretty sure that's
"Newton\'s Law" by BJ. The clue about only one line of dialogue gave it away.
Next one (and this is probably way too easy):
"The Nightfall Asteroid is on a direct course for Earth.
This piece of space rock is seventeen miles across,
traveling at close to thirty thousand miles per hour. If
nothing stops it, it will hit the Earth in a little more
than four days." Professor Daitch, Chief Scientist at the
EPRAD command and control center based in Metropolis,
paused at the end of his announcement and added, almost
under his breath, "The sky, literally, is falling."
"What kind of damage could this asteroid do?" The inquiry
came from Phil Morrison of the Star.
Daitch took a deep breath. "It could knock the Earth off
its axis, even throw us out of our current solar orbit.
It's far larger than the meteor that caused the extinction
of the dinosaurs. The crater alone will throw enough dust
into the air to start a new ice age."
Professor Daitch stepped back from the microphone and the
general who had introduced him took his place. Lois Lane,
like the other reporters at the press conference, had been
momentarily stunned by the announcement. It was hard to
absorb the meaning of the astronomer's words -- that the
entire world could die in four days. The whole concept was
unreal to her. Science had never been her strongest
subject and the idea that a piece of rock traveling from
the depths of space could cause the end of civilization, as
she had always known it, was almost unbelievable.
Frank Madison, from LNN, appeared to recover first. "Is
the government doing anything about it? What's being done
to protect the Earth from this thing?"
"Of course, the government isn't standing idly by," General
Zeitlin replied, sounding slightly outraged at the mere
idea. "There is no need for panic. We are confident we
can handle this challenge with existing resources. We have
several delivery systems, notably the Asgard booster, which
we are in the process of re-programming. At the same time,
we're currently attaching nuclear payloads, which, if we
can deliver them, will eradicate this threat from our
skies."
The press conference concluded a few moments later. Lois
charged out ahead of the other reporters and headed
straight for the phones, snatching up the receiver of the
nearest from under the reaching hand of Linda Watkins. The
reporter from the Register gave her a dirty look, which
Lois ignored. The biggest story of the century was
breaking, and it might be the last one she would ever
write. She was darned well going to be the one to write it
-- first.
**********
"Clark, come and see this!"
Clark Kent, the Acting Editor of the Smallville Press,
turned at the shout from Jennifer Douglas, one of the
little paper's two full-time reporters. The small
television was on in the main newsroom -- a cramped space
about fifteen by fifteen, crowded with several desks, a
copy machine, the coffeepot and various paraphernalia
associated with the publication of the little weekly
newspaper.
