Our Little Eternity
The Earth had become an inhospitable place. Not because of war, famine, or disease, but because earthquakes were literally breaking the planet into pieces. It seemed as though the Earth had finally given up. Cities were sunk into the oceans, and the masses were evacuated onto space stations to move the populous to Mars. My family was one of the lucky ones to make it onto a ship before the planet's surface had completely rolled over itself killing the billions that remained behind.
We were given living quarters to reside in while making the 7 month trip. We had two rooms to sleep in and a bathroom. Each room had a window displaying the infinite nothingness that filled the space between the scarce stars. My daughter, Scarlett, and two sons, Atticus and Haven, shared one room and my pregnant wife, Erin, and I slept in the other. She was only 2 months along and our youngest child was just over a year old. The living conditions weren't comfortable, but we were alive together which was all that mattered. Haven liked to stand against the window and smack it. I would always get angry at him and tell him to stop. Scarlett and Atticus always sneaked out of our quarters and roamed the ship. I told them that if they didn't stop, the captain wouldn't let us go to Mars.
The governments of earth had the foresight to send colonizing teams to Mars about a year ago when the earthquakes started. We heard news that the colony on Mars had been a success, and by the time we would arrive it would just barely be ready for us to move into a modular home. Erin was scheduled to give birth just after our arrival on the planet. Everything seemed like it would turn out alright after looking so bleak.
As the journey neared it's end, the ship arrival area on Mars filled up, and the remaining ships had to stay in orbit until cleared for landing. Ours was one of those ships. The surface of Mars seemed so close as we looked out our bedroom window, but we would have to wait a little longer. Disappointed, my wife and I left our children in our quarters to go ask the captain how long it would be until we could land. I told Haven to stay away from the window and Scarlett and Atticus to stay put.
We started toward the captain's quarters and looked out the windows in the hallway at the mess of ships trying to get organized. Less than a minute passed when suddenly an alarm sounded and a voice came over the PA system warning of a collision with another ship. There was no time to react as the two ships smashed together. The hallway we had just come though was violently ripped open and emergency systems were engaged to preserve the lives of those in areas not affected by the collision. Airlock doors closed quickly behind us, cutting us off from our children who had certainly been killed in the crash. We cried as the realization of our children's deaths came upon us.
Air was running out and our ship began an uncontrollable decent to the planet's surface without any way to land. We would have to evacuate immediately using escape pods which would allow us to get to another ship. We boarded a pod with 10 other survivors. My wife was the only pregnant woman. The pod quickly released it's grip from the main ship and we began floating away from our previous lives. After making it so far, our children were dead which left us both barely alive. From the small port hole we could see the dying ship amongst the multitude of other ships trying frantically to dodge each other while awaiting landing orders. Our previous home was destroyed, now only a symbol of our broken lives. It floated only a hundred feet from our reach.
As we awaited rescue, we drifted by the hallway we had just come down not 10 minutes earlier. Among the scattered debris we saw Scarlett and Atticus's bodies. They had left our quarters to follow after us. My wife cried inconsolably. Next, we passed the window that used to be our bedroom. It appeared intact, the light was still on. Just before floating out of view, we looked in shock as Haven innocently stood up against the window and playfully patted the glass with his hand, patiently waiting for his mommy's return. His mouth moved, and we swear we could hear his sweet, happy voice softly saying "da da".
We both helplessly cried out, "Haven!" We begged to go back, but the pod could not be steered, only picked up by another ship. He slipped silently and peacefully out of our view just as another craft twice the size of ours careened into the ship where Haven was, sending him to join his loving siblings. My wife screamed and slammed her fist on the window. Then she turned and buried her head in my chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. We wept deeply, and I held my sweet wife for the remainder of our trip to the surface.
Arriving at our new home on Mars, we tried to make due with what was left of our existence. Erin gave birth 6 days later to our new baby girl. The first baby born on Mars. We named her Eternity. A symbol to everyone, but mostly to us, that life would go on.
THE END
Saddest. Dream. Ever.
I woke up almost in tears.
-Stephen
