Not With A Whimper
Alex sat in a wheelchair, staring out from a huge window at a beautiful view of Earth, its horizon gently kissed by the moon. He was on Columbus Station, a geosynchronous research station in orbit of earth. The fires in the western coastal states where just now starting to go out. Columbus was one of five hundred stations across the globe. But none of that mattered now. It was all crashing down. Columbus, up until the world changed like it did last night, was the go-to place for scientific research and study in the Earth Sphere.
Jenni approached from behind and rested a hand on his shoulder gently, "Its cold today." The two scientists were the only ones left on Columbus. All the others had returned to earth for the spring. Most of them were probably dead.
Alex nodded and shifted his gaze up to the beautiful figure standing next to her. The woman's finely defined face, delicate frame, and thin fingers had the same charm now as they did years prior. Alex had never acted on his attractions because he did not want to bother the beautiful woman. He sighed and nodded, "Cold... I love it."
"that's why you stay up here, isn't it?"
"not just for the cold. I came up here to escape the music that permeates earth." Alex sighed, half talking to himself.
"But, I thought you loved music!" Jenni responded, drawing back slightly in shock.
"I lost my love for music with my legs, Jenni." He looked back out the window as she returned, slowly taking the handlebars of the wheelchair. He brushed some of his silver hair from his face, happy to be helped, even though he could get around on his own. he had insisted on a manual wheelchair.
Jenni was silent as she walked Alex toward the lab. Alex had lost his legs in a fatal car crash when he was twenty-six. The crash broke his spinal chord at the waist, and shook him mentally. He could not play guitar anymore, and threw himself into science. In four years, he learned what Jenni learned in twelve. He repeatedly informed her it was not that he was more intelligent then her -- in fact it was the other way around, according to Alex -- He spent every waking moment learning, losing almost 20 kilos in two months, before Jenni found him and started making him eat again. "You lost your ability to play... so you threw yourself into Science if it was the last thing you had."
"It was the last thing I had. Your brother, music, and Samantha were all I cared about... when Samantha left and Ethan..." He broke off, barely staving off sobs.
Jenni gently hugged him and sniffled, "Its okay, Alex... you don't have to talk about it... and now you have me, right?" Jenni took a touch-pad console and gasped.
"What is it, Jenni?"
"Alex... look at this..." She handed over the pad.
Alex held his chest and spent a few moments regaining his composure. "Jenni... is that... the sun collapsing?"
She nodded, "As you would say, Alex, The water is rising up."
He sighed a bit, "Let the cleansing begin."
Jenni approached from behind and rested a hand on his shoulder gently, "Its cold today." The two scientists were the only ones left on Columbus. All the others had returned to earth for the spring. Most of them were probably dead.
Alex nodded and shifted his gaze up to the beautiful figure standing next to her. The woman's finely defined face, delicate frame, and thin fingers had the same charm now as they did years prior. Alex had never acted on his attractions because he did not want to bother the beautiful woman. He sighed and nodded, "Cold... I love it."
"that's why you stay up here, isn't it?"
"not just for the cold. I came up here to escape the music that permeates earth." Alex sighed, half talking to himself.
"But, I thought you loved music!" Jenni responded, drawing back slightly in shock.
"I lost my love for music with my legs, Jenni." He looked back out the window as she returned, slowly taking the handlebars of the wheelchair. He brushed some of his silver hair from his face, happy to be helped, even though he could get around on his own. he had insisted on a manual wheelchair.
Jenni was silent as she walked Alex toward the lab. Alex had lost his legs in a fatal car crash when he was twenty-six. The crash broke his spinal chord at the waist, and shook him mentally. He could not play guitar anymore, and threw himself into science. In four years, he learned what Jenni learned in twelve. He repeatedly informed her it was not that he was more intelligent then her -- in fact it was the other way around, according to Alex -- He spent every waking moment learning, losing almost 20 kilos in two months, before Jenni found him and started making him eat again. "You lost your ability to play... so you threw yourself into Science if it was the last thing you had."
"It was the last thing I had. Your brother, music, and Samantha were all I cared about... when Samantha left and Ethan..." He broke off, barely staving off sobs.
Jenni gently hugged him and sniffled, "Its okay, Alex... you don't have to talk about it... and now you have me, right?" Jenni took a touch-pad console and gasped.
"What is it, Jenni?"
"Alex... look at this..." She handed over the pad.
Alex held his chest and spent a few moments regaining his composure. "Jenni... is that... the sun collapsing?"
She nodded, "As you would say, Alex, The water is rising up."
He sighed a bit, "Let the cleansing begin."