This original piece of flash fiction won honorable mention in the Flash! Friday Contest when I first shared it three years ago, (July 2014). I’m proud of the multiple layers of meaning I was able to achieve in such a short piece, and thought I would share it with you all again…
Intrepid
Captain’s Log: 3065 AD
The Intrepid IX arrived on the planetoid called Pluto three months ago. Only eight survived the 32-year space voyage, and upon arriving we discovered that just as we feared, the sun has begun to overheat. Nobody on Earth could survive such broiling temperatures.
We wear thermal suits and weighted boots to protect us from the extreme cold (375 degrees below zero) and the weak gravitational pull. We thought the suits would also protect us from space radiation. Then our hair started falling out.
I advised my crew to hold on – that others would come. They maintained hope. And one by one, I watched them die.
Now I’m alone. I write this now so there might be some evidence of humanity. What shall I say of us? We lived boldly and loved well, but in the end, the universe grew weary of us.
Oxygen…failing…world ……cold………
unyielding……but we………
were……………….
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Today’s post is part of the A-to-Z Challenge, where participants commit to posting one article for each day during the month of April – one for every letter of the alphabet.
Check back here at “The Artistic Christian” for a daily slice of art (art reviews, practical tips, and motivation for artists), all steeped in a rich Christian worldview.
The Artistic Christian 
Great flash piece. And although you certainly can’t continue it, you could add plenty to the early part if you wanted to expand it because the storyline could go much further if you ever felt inclined. It stands on its own at this length, but it’s good stuff, so after reading I was wanting more! Like what was the narrator like before he left on this journey. And what did he leave behind?
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I agree that this could be fleshed out! At the time I had a strict word limit to work with for contest purposes, but it would be fun to expand it now!
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Brilliant, I like the line the universe grew weary of us, makes me think about the fact that we should put ourselves into perspective more often 🙂
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Thanks so much! I was trying to think of a way to describe the futility and loneliness of their situation in just a few words, and came up with this…
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Nice story! Space can be grand and beautiful, but it can also be a cold and lonely place. You’ve given us a taste of both, and that’s a very tricky thing to do.
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Thanks! I have always been fascinated with the idea of space travel… perhaps it’s just in my blood. I’m glad that both sides of the way I imagine the experience would be came through here…
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Yes, it’s in my blood too. It sort of frustrates me that I’ll probably never get to go (unless SpaceX comes through with some of their wilder promises), but at least I can imagine through good storytelling.
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Exactly! I’d love to go to Mars in theory, but couldn’t leave everyone here on earth behind indefinitely – but it’s fun to dream about!
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