They drifted through the infinite void of space, their mission clear: to harvest energy from a black hole. Everything had been running smoothly until the lights flared, signaling their arrival. In the back of the ship, the captain kept up his strength through exercise, feeling the shift as gravity returned to zero—just as it was supposed to. He moved to the starboard window, a quiet laugh escaping him. The black hole's encircling darkness was a sight beyond comprehension, a humbling reminder of his place in the universe.
How did I end up here? The thought echoed in his mind. Nearly a century had passed, and now, he stood on the brink of making history. I'm going to be remembered. Me—the man with no past.
He made his way to the front of the vessel, where his crew was already celebrating. Laughter, tears of joy, and embraces filled the air. They had made it.
But then, chaos shattered the moment. A man burst into the room, panic distorting his words. But through the noise, one phrase cut through like a knife:
"It… It's growing!"
The captain's gaze snapped back to the starboard window. The black hole, once a controlled and terrifying phenomenon, was now expanding, erupting with color. What had been awe-inspiring was now a harbinger of doom. It doubled, then tripled in size. The crew's joy faded, replaced by a creeping dread.
"This isn't the time to celebrate!" His voice cut through the room with a sharp edge. "We need to leave—launch the pod and retreat!" His eyes reflected the urgency of the situation as he issued the order.
A young man ran up to him, barely keeping it together as he saluted. "Sir, the pod… It's stuck! It needs to be manually launched!"
The captain hesitated for only a moment, weighing the options. "Alright," he said, his voice firm. "I'll go. I'll launch the pod and detach it manually. It's the only way."
One of the crew members followed him to the pod, tears streaking their face. "Captain… will you make it out?"
He forced a reassuring smile. "Yes. Yes, I will. We're going to make history." He patted the man on the shoulder, his resolve unwavering, and sent him off.
The pod door closed behind him with a hiss, sealing the captain inside. He stared at the docking mechanism, knowing full well what awaited him. The pod was designed to gather energy from the black hole—an experimental tool at the peak of human expertise. But for it to work, the hangar doors had to open. And opening those doors meant certain death.
As the ship with his crew safely aboard vanished into the darkness of space, he remained behind, alone in the pod. His hands rested on the controls as it began its fateful journey toward the black hole. His hat floated above him, freed from the magnetic hold, and he took in the astonishing view.
A dream so vast, so consuming, and now… this. The thought lingered as the black hole grew larger in his view. I can die happy, he told himself, trying to hold onto that sense of accomplishment. The most accomplished man in the universe… and the first to die in a black hole.
But doubt gnawed at the edges of his mind. Am I really the most accomplished? His hands gripped the sides of his head, holding back tears. Will the energy pod even work? His eyes darted around, searching for signs of damage.
Will I even be remembered? The weight of his own insignificance bore down on him. Headlines will read, 'Mission fails with the captain's sacrifice.'
He slammed his fist down in defiance. Not yet. I am not done with life just yet!
The outer door finally opened up to the vastness of space. If he stayed any longer, he would break the pod. His suit had activated when the pressure was released. Even still, he checked on the pod to make sure it was alright.
He was immediately being pulled into the vast black hole. He had a tear forming in his suit; his eyes were full of blood, and his skin felt like it was being burned and frozen countless times over. He looked up and saw the pod glow blue, take off around the black hole. He let out a noiseless laugh. His eyes exploded with blood everywhere before he felt his ribs crack with pressure from the inside. After a second, all his senses left his body.
How am I still conscious? I don't feel anything. He was still existing, but he couldn't use any of his senses. He was in a predicament never foreshadowed in his entire life.
I think I am dead, but how am I here? The afterlife shouldn't exist.
He felt an encroaching darkness falling over his conscience, like a dread that had been looming over his existence. He could feel that the environment around him was pure space; nothing was in sight.
"Come, you have done well." A warm voice said. The voice was filled with comfort, but the intentions of this voice were questionable.
"I don't want to go; I'll stay right here. I have more things to accomplish." The captain did not like the thought of passing on.
"It's your time. Don't defy me." The voice seemed unusually angry over a minimal issue. It had thousands of souls to tend to, why is it mad at this one?
"Give me your thoughts and rest in peace." The voice said this while the man with no past began forgetting everything. His name, his family, his personal experiences, and himself.
No. The captain strained his mind to hold it together, to keep his memories.
No, I won't be forgotten. He persisted through the absorption of his knowledge and experiences. Damn it!
"You…Aren't you a persistent one?" The voice said it in a way that made the man feel small. He felt as if he couldn't do anything to fight against the theft of his very being. He held onto what knowledge still rested in his mind.
"Have fun becoming nothing; I don't need you anymore; I've already passed on your wisdom and your thoughts; even your soul shall be cleansed from this realm."
The man felt a little flame leave him. His soul was the very thing that remained after everything had been taken. He began fading away, but still fought. His soul desperately tried to return to his cloud of consciousness.
He tried grasping onto the strings that held his whole being together, but they were being undone by this god.
"Pitiful. Your soul has barely grown. You won't be useful anymore. You will end your journey here. Take your soul as well; you're not even worth existing. You are only able to use others around you to become someone of worthy note. A parasite if you will."
An alarm blared inside of his mind, and he felt like he was being repelled far away.
He felt whole every now and then, but that didn't last long. He felt himself growing and shrinking, sinking and floating, existing and not. He was being reduced to nothing. He was being banished for his encroachment and defiance against the almighty being before him.
He felt himself pass a barrier that severed his connection to the universe, yet he still remained. Time seemed nonexistent in this space, yet he felt it pass. Haha, this sucks.
He still managed to laugh.