Light Years Away

The dazzling lights of the stars filled the empty sky as he looked up at it; his breath heavy as he clutched at his knees, breathless. I made it. 

“Come, David. It’s time to go home.” His mother’s voice was soft spoken but assertive as she clutched at his small hand, smirking as she followed his gaze. She knew that the sky had always fascinated her son; the dreams he had filled with the alluring secrets that space had to offer, his imagination brimming with the abundance of information he hoped one day he would discover.

The overwhelming frustration that there was so much knowledge about the universe yet to be found weighed heavily on David. He looked back at his mom with sadness, a look of blatant curiosity on his face as he frowned up at her, his eyes welling with tears with the sudden realization that it would be days before he could come back to look up at the night sky. 

“But Mom - I just got here.” He motioned to the rock he was standing on and then pointed up at the stars with a pout, “It’s easier to see the stars here when you’re up this high.”

“Well, one day you’ll be among them, now come on.”

x

The years had passed by and David grew to be an adult, his fascination with outer-space growing with every year he got older. He had studied long and hard to become what he had always wanted and not a day went by where he wasn’t excited to be doing what he loved.

“Commander David. It’s nice to have you here with us,” A man said, a gruff pat on his shoulder as he turned his head to the authoritative voice; a smile growing across his face as he looked at his Chief with a sort of admiration filling his blue eyes.

“Thank you, Sir. It’s an honour to be here among you all.” David replied with a smile, glancing towards the other people in the room. They were all dressed in similar blue uniforms that were tailored to their specific size, their hands by their sides as they looked up at the Chief with respect. The lapels over their chests were emblazoned with their first and last names, their hair tucked neatly into a matching blue hat. 

David knew that he was in a room full of like minded and extremely intelligent people and he felt a sense of pride swell in his chest as he studied each of their faces. A majority of them looked excited but a few among the crowd looked terrified. David frowned at their outward display of emotions and he shook his head, looking back to the Chief who had positioned himself behind a large podium in the centre of the room.

It had taken years to get where he was and he didn’t want the feelings of the others to affect him. He knew that it was worth every minute that he had spent training, the physical turmoil making him a stronger and more resilient man as he studied the stars. He turned his head to the Chief who had started talking, a smile forming on his lips as he listened to what the other man had to say.

“We welcome all of you talented and intelligent people here today for a very important mission. Understand that what you are about to do is both for humanity and for the love of science and I want to personally thank you all individually for allowing yourself to be part of the first deep sleep mission to explore a new solar system.” The words were strong and The Chief looked down at them all with a serious expression, shuffling through his notes, coughing slightly into his arm as he continued.

 “A hundred and seventeen years is a long time but in the end: it will be worth it. Your new life begins here but it doesn’t end here and I understand that you are all making a huge sacrifice. Civilization as you know it will be different, but all of you have been selected for your accomplishments and personal triumphs. I can attest to the fact that the world will shine a little brighter knowing that all of you will pave the way for mankind to explore the universe. You are a symbol of humanity's strength and determination. Good luck and Godspeed.”

X

A hundred and seventeen years passed and the alarms in the spacecraft went off to signal the end of their journey. As their hibernation pods opened, David heard the shrill sound of the alarm, his eyes straining to open from his deep sleep. He yawned and stretched his arm out in front of him to brush his hair from his eyes, hearing a giggle from beside his compartmental bed.

“I can’t believe it’s finally time.” The voice was soft and low: a woman. As David’s eyes finally opened, he was greeted with the image of an older female who was smiling over at him, brimming with happiness that their mission was coming to a close.

“I know - It seems like just yesterday, doesn’t it?” David asked as he unbuckled himself from the bed, making sure to properly adjust his uniform for his optimum weight. He stepped down off the platform onto the main metal floor, his eyes scanning his surroundings as he steadied himself with his hands. The uniform he wore was weighted which kept him down but he watched out of the corner of his eye as other people started to float as they began to wake up. 

The blinking lights of the ship caused his eyes to water; the sudden blinding light of them harsh against the little light that filled the room, voices being carried throughout the sleeping quarters.

A crackling sound broke his concentration and he heard a man’s voice throughout the sound system, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as he listened. “Good morning, everyone. It’s time for your mission to start.” The sudden realization hit David like a ton of bricks and his nerves settled into his stomach as he was finally about to do what he had dreamed of for ages.

Turning, David watched as the rest of the crew nodded their heads at the voice, turning towards the large metal door, entering into the hallway where everyone was starting to gather.

“Please find your suitable suits and meet me on deck.”

X

It only took David a few minutes to put on his large gray suit, adjusting his helmet in the mirror by the door, staring at his reflection in the cracked and dirty mirror. Anxiety coursed through his body and he sighed, nodding his head as he followed the crew out onto the travel door. 

He watched as the throng of people began to descend and as his place in line came closer, he looked at the older female who was standing in front of him with curiosity. “Is this what you had always hoped to do?”

“It took me a long time to get to this place but who wouldn’t want to be the first set of humans to explore a new star system? I know that what I am about to do will change history for the better. People will be talking about us for years to come and I don’t know about you, but hasn’t everyone wanted to be a hero?”

David nodded his head in agreement, a small smile on his face as he lifted his arm up, waving his glove clad fingers at her as she exited the ship. Taking a deep breath, he followed after her once his name was called, taking the first steps onto the surface of the planet they were sent to explore. 

The gravity was heavy and he struggled to walk with composure but he followed behind the rest of the crew with a smile as they looked up at the darkened sky, following their gaze. A bright and twinkling star shone brilliantly in the sky and the woman beside him pointed and whispered in amazement, “The sun.” 

The dazzling lights of the stars filled the empty sky as he looked up at it; his breath heavy as he clutched at his knees, breathless. I made it.