Sirius

Space; no longer the glittering tapestry of galaxies but a starless expanse of palpable darkness that consumed worlds like the gaping void of a black hole. Like the nothingness that suspended the aimless Nova Prime ship; all who inhabited its walls echoed the emptiness that the universe felt. They were all that was left and they were alone.

“Cambria.” called Mayce. The young astronomer pulled her attention away from the endless emptiness beyond the ship’s window, wondering if she’d been staring at anything to begin with. “Captain want’s to see you.” he clarified, moving to sit beside her at the window. Perhaps it was just an element of human nature that craved to stare into the unknown; regardless of reason, Cambria’s own empty eyes looked to mirror the blackness of the space beyond.

“Mayce, what’s the point?” she whispered with a lit of weariness dampening her words.

“Astryn found a new star.” he informed.

A wry smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes upturned her lips. “It doesn’t matter, it will die like all the others.”

“You don’t know that.” Mayce pointed out, though his voice lacked conviction. They both knew otherwise and hoping for anything different was childish. Cambria didn’t need to correct him; soon enough, time would do that for her.

“Alright.” she sighed, as she moved to stand. Before she could move away, Mayce caught her hand within his larger one.

“They’ll come back.” he encouraged. “We’ll find a way.”

Cambria’s eyes softened at his earnestness. His hope was for her benefit. Mayce knew what the stars meant to her. After all, what was an astronomer if there were no stars to study? Cambria lifted a hand to cradle his cheek. “Thank you Mayce.”

His hand tightened around hers as a sadness ghosted through his eyes like the darkness that filled the emptiness beyond the window. Cambria leaned forward and pressed a kiss upon his forehead. It wasn’t an expression of love or tenderness. No; love was useless in these times.

With no hope for a future, love was meaningless at best. The only thing of use now was comfort, and as she lifted her lips, the fragile embrace of a nonexistent security enveloped her. The fleeting sense that perhaps somehow they’d manage to survive was what gave her the ability to face the captain on the observation deck.

“Captain Rovi, you called for me?” Cambria saluted.

“At ease. Astryn here found a star in what we believe to be galaxy X0-210.” explained Captain Rovi as he paced around the circular table in the center of the room. A single holographic light hung suspended above the table, giving light to the planets surrounding it.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Cambria slowly approached the blue light, extending her finger in childlike wonder to touch its warmth. Cambria instantly picked up a holo-tablet and digested Astryn’s data on the newly found source of life.

Astryn approached the table, her eyes transfixed on the shining translucent orb. “One of our satellites picked up its electromagnetic waves last night. I believe this one might be stable-”

“It isn’t.” Cambria announced, her voice broken and cut by the shards of a shattered hope.  Cambria held the tablet in Astryn’s direction, pointing to a line of data. “Right here.” Cambria explained. “This star is showing symptoms like the others. It will go hypernova and collapse.”

Captain Rovi slammed the base of his fists against the metal table, causing the holographic image to stutter. How symbolic the flickering was; soon like the holographic image, that star would lose its life to the all consuming darkness of space and devolve into nothingness.