The Disasters

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
—

We sit in silence while al-Rihla, the jewel of the colonies, gradually takes over more and more of the viewport. It looks exactly like it did on the pages of my textbooks, only so much more. I let my eyes linger for a moment, taking in green continents outlined in rich red sand and huge, intensely blue oceans that glitter below. I know we're in a life-or-death situation, but it's hard not to be overwhelmed by the view. I can see why all the antiexploration crap went away once a few humans actually got out here. Who could look at all this and not want it? It's bizarre–I've only seen Earth from space once, and I was busy trying not to die at the time. Now I'm looking down on a completely different planet, in person, in space, while flying a ship I stole.

I'm actually here. This is all I've ever wanted, though I didn't get it in the way I wanted.

And in a few painfully long minutes, I'll find out whether I get to live to see the other seven colony worlds one day, or if I get to die in a dramatic crash and kill all my new friends instead.

Fantastic.

The Disasters