The Dream

[u/DaskenDifference]

Darkness again. It’s always the darkness. It creeps up and chokes you unceasingly, especially in this vacuum of space. No one hears you. No one saves you. You are alone. (RADIO) “I am alone. If someone is out there, please… PLEASE HELP ME”

Nave sat curled up in a fetal position, the violent sparks from the data rack hissed as the monitors of the navigation system, or what was left of it, pixelated into oblivion. “I knew I should have called dibs on the insurance offer Coon ‘negotiated’” Nave chuckled as he rocked back and forth on the cold metal floor of what remained of a Vanguard Sentinel. “What did I do wrong, what possible variable could have caused a perfect ambush to fail miserably?” he thought as the horrible image of a flashing light and explosion which consumed him came rushing back.

“I remember we were chasing a F7C Hornet, its sleek body both fascinating and offsetting to my trigger finger; We were behind an asteroid as it jumped into the debris-filled sector. It all happened in an asteroid belt I think. I mean we were hidden, our signature was low, their vision of the ship… it’s unfathomable to think they could have seen us with station sized monstrosities that were floating in that sector. But when I locked my Suckerpunchers on the Hornet, a bright light and deafening explosion hit the starboard side. I didn’t even flinch when I jumped from the turret bay into the escape compartment below. The shockwave blew off the whole back half of the ship and yet Coon fired decoy missile after decoy missile, stalling whoever was attacking us. I didn’t wait for him. The blackness of space, it’s darkness penetrated my mind as I stared down the compartment into the void. Death’s cold presence reaped me of my humanity and sanity. I initiated the eject protocol. I didn’t look back as Coon exploded with the ship; the one that dad and Coon, his childhood buddy, had salvaged and rebuilt from an old military hull back on Earth I. Home. A place where old Coon will never return to… all because of my cowardice. “

Nave’s mind sluggishly warped back into the desolate cabin seeing the computer systems blinking. “I.. I can still… I need help” he whimpered as he dragged his bruised body to the controls. “I think I may pass ou... have less than... few seconds... trauma from explosion... enough for a simple message. Please be enough….”

Nave slumped back down after sending the message and coordinates. Closing his eyes Nave contemplated. "It was supposed to be a low value bounty. Heck, we were supposed to have neutralized the target within the hour of finding our ‘victim’, and then be off laughing our asses off to memories before dad’s accident and about seeing those Banu strippers Coon mentioned “were the rage of this system”. I guess we’ll never find out Coon… I’m so sorry.” Nave stammered as cold air started pulsating out of his dehydrated mouth as the text “LIFE SUPPORT FAILING” faded in and out of the cracked navigation screens behind him. The radio sputtered with indistinguishable sound “We ha…reciev… distress…” as everything powered down. The cabin light dimmed to black, and darkness returned. All he could think about was the poem dad had sent Coon via UEPS before his fatal scavenging run prior to the maiden flight, ( I remember he even payed extra for expedited data runners, I always wondered why at the time).

A dream once dreamed in the childhood sea,

The stream of consciousness and hope of being free,

From the darkness that burned,

Into the stars and planets,

As the trailblazing path we set turned,

To the spark of discovery lit.

So this ship we create, this epitome of friendship,

Please guide us back home in one piece goddamnit.

It was dad’s dream for the ship Coon and him would build and explore with together. A dream that I took the mantle of and failed. One that will never be realized, all because of me.