The commander’s face appears on the screen.
“2347.01.12.11.43. Our engines are down, main power is down, batteries are running low. We have contacted the fleet and have been told that help is on its way. Our calculations tell us that they will not get here in time. Life support will fail 17 hours before they get here. Bio-restoration protocol will need to be employed.
“It’s not dying that is the big concern here. It’s what we see in our forward view screens. There’s nothing out here. It’s just empty. There’s nothing for us out here. We can live out here as long as our technology is working. Some say we can live out here very well, comfortably. But we cannot touch it, hold it, or breath it. But, we just want to go home. We want to back away from this indifferent emptiness of space, beneath the reassuring blanket of an atmosphere, in the grasp of a home world’s gravity, and feel solid ground beneath our feet. We want to look out the window and see life around us. Now all we see is darkness.
“I know this report will go on my record. I know I will be evaluated for fitness for command… or space travel. I am sorry about that. This has been an adventure. It’s just that we have had some time to think about this hull and the windows, about what exists outside the ship, and what exists inside.
“And… We just want to go home”
“2347.01.12.11.43. Our engines are down, main power is down, batteries are running low. We have contacted the fleet and have been told that help is on its way. Our calculations tell us that they will not get here in time. Life support will fail 17 hours before they get here. Bio-restoration protocol will need to be employed.
“It’s not dying that is the big concern here. It’s what we see in our forward view screens. There’s nothing out here. It’s just empty. There’s nothing for us out here. We can live out here as long as our technology is working. Some say we can live out here very well, comfortably. But we cannot touch it, hold it, or breath it. But, we just want to go home. We want to back away from this indifferent emptiness of space, beneath the reassuring blanket of an atmosphere, in the grasp of a home world’s gravity, and feel solid ground beneath our feet. We want to look out the window and see life around us. Now all we see is darkness.
“I know this report will go on my record. I know I will be evaluated for fitness for command… or space travel. I am sorry about that. This has been an adventure. It’s just that we have had some time to think about this hull and the windows, about what exists outside the ship, and what exists inside.
“And… We just want to go home”
No comments:
Post a Comment