The pounding fists of the void had moved without ripples in their wake.
His heat lingered on the deck for just a few days… and he was gone.
0°
The cruel cold of the void rushed down upon us, giving us barely any time to prepare. But we were able to endure, temporarily.
That wouldn't do.
-35°
It's funny to me how naive we were, how arrogant we had become. Despite everything suggesting otherwise we always assumed everything would work out, why wouldn't it? Of course it was hopeless, and we understood that too late.
We spat the Universe in the face by not giving up earlier.
-70°
The others began moving beneath deck. Cowering from the void and its ice-cold breath. And reluctantly, I cowered with them. As much as I like to deny it, I too fear the uncontained void above.
As if a hole in the ground would somehow save us in the end.
-105°
The engine generates its own heat down here, but it's not enough. Not for me, not for us. It's just… not him.
What I would do to feel his warmth again… this place is no substitute. It's counterfeit, a pathetic imitation.
-140°
We can't even steer, not without a wheel. We were never given enough time to build one, so we're left adrift towards whatever lies upon the horizon. But we can't see from down here.
I'm tired of this fucking hole…
-175°
I met this kid down here, quiet guy, deep eyes, an engineer, kept to himself a lot. I decided to strike up a conversation, we talked for a bit and eventually after I had explained my point of view I asked how he felt about this place. He conceded that he felt very much like I do, miserable, trapped in a tomb of Endlings.
We decided that we weren't going to waste away down in this pit with everyone else. With some effort we managed to convince the others to let us leave. We said our goodbyes and wished them luck, like that'd save them.
-210°
We put on our suits, stepped above, and walked. Past all our derelict architecture and discarded history, until we reached the bow of the ship. I sat down and looked forward upon the horizon bordering that eternal night and our meager ground…
And I saw land. Straight ahead in the direction we were floating towards… far far away. Too far to get to in any one lifetime.
And that would do.
-245°
For the first time since we stepped out of that hole, he spoke to me.
"You wanna know something ironic?"
He said with a sedated smile.
"Sure, why not."
"Just before all this, most of our sites had just finished phasing out nuclear power in exchange for new hyper-efficient solar panels from the lads on Mercury."
"Ah… shit. Wonder how they're fairing there…"
"Yeah…"
He sat down beside me and looked upon the horizon.
…
"Do you think anything will come after us…?"
-273°.
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