The Event

Passing Acquaintance/huntemann                                                                                                                                   Page 1

Epilogue
Scene [10]

The Event

         The ship's hull deflected the first few moments of the radiation burst. But the crescendo of a supernova takes a month to peak.

         The crew maneuvered the ship to align the engines with the point of origin and gained a few more days of life. But the stellar envelope was expanding at a great speed and soon extended beyond the protection provided by the engines' deflecting blast.

         In less than a week the ceramic skin glowed with white heat and the crew knew time was not on their side.

         By vote of all hands, detonation of the central power plant was chosen rather than slow roasting for a few more hours.

         The last transmission to Earth was made in the blind. They didn't know if Earth would have developed the technology by the time their signal arrived to receive and decode the compressed streams of data. They sent as much scientific information about their species, its history, their love of the cosmos and the obligations all life has to care and guide it.

         They apologized for their unfortunate choices that risked Earth and hoped their mission, though now doomed, would inspire Earth to take their place in the cosmos.


         And the ship winked out of existence.

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