A sliver of faint green light hits the eyes. Was it dawn or dusk? The hermetic seal on the bed broke open. The cold rush of stale air and dank stones was the first sign of disaster. Cold sterile light of a clean room should have lit up the senses. Now the sudden flood of fear was a threat bent on expiration.
A sliver of faint green light hits the eyes. Was it dawn or dusk? The hermetic seal on the bed broke open. The cold rush of stale air and dank stones was the first sign of disaster. Cold sterile light of a clean room should have lit up the senses. Now the sudden flood of fear was a threat bent on expiration.
The source of the light was the answer. The metal whined as it broke apart under each finger. The slick scent of iron was drawn in with every breath. Hands were wet with it as they tore into the womb that once gave hope to humanity. It was a failure. An experiment with the goal of extending interstellar travel. Now just a carcass of technology held deep underground.
The glow filled the room. It didn’t sting as much as catastrophe. Its luminescence would last thousands of years, along with adequate radiation to kill a person. Time enough for one last look at her and quick enough to avoid suffocation.
In the void under the footrest is where she lay. A casket is what they had said when she was put away. A protocol violation, but they let her stay. It was a Father’s Day gift and the last one ever given. The stained wood and metal spoke to the end of civilization.
In the light she was shone a final time. The beautiful image of a girl. A relic birthed its final act. It waits to tell its secret. What unknown thing will finish the story and learn from our folly. It feels almost warm as it slips away. No sadness, just empty as it tumbles to the floor.
A sliver of faint green light hits the eyes. Was it dawn or dusk? The hermetic seal on the bed broke open. The cold rush of stale air and dank stones was the first sign of disaster. Cold sterile light of a clean room should have lit up the senses. Now the sudden flood of fear was a threat bent on expiration.
The source of the light was the answer. The metal whined as it broke apart under each finger. The slick scent of iron was drawn in with every breath. Hands were wet with it as they tore into the womb that once gave hope to humanity. It was a failure. An experiment with the goal of extending interstellar travel. Now just a carcass of technology held deep underground.
The glow filled the room. It didn’t sting as much as catastrophe. Its luminescence would last thousands of years, along with adequate radiation to kill a person. Time enough for one last look at her and quick enough to avoid suffocation.
In the void under the footrest is where she lay. A casket is what they had said when she was put away. A protocol violation, but they let her stay. It was a Father’s Day gift and the last one ever given. The stained wood and metal spoke to the end of civilization.
In the light she was shone a final time. The beautiful image of a girl. A relic birthed its final act. It waits to tell its secret. What unknown thing will finish the story and learn from our folly. It feels almost warm as it slips away. No sadness, just empty as it tumbles to the floor.